Delhi: Flyover or underpass planned to decongest ITO

PWD issued a tender for the project on Thursday and the consultant will be hired at a cost of ₹2 crore

The Public Works Department (PWD) has planned to construct a flyover or an underpass at the ITO intersection in central Delhi, along with a comprehensive transit corridor and street network redesign, officials aware of the matter said.

A traffic jam at ITO. (HT Archive)

PWD issued a tender for the project on Thursday and the consultant will be hired at a cost of ₹2 crore. The firm will be asked to take around six months to prepare the detailed project report (DPR) about the intersection and come up with an integrated transit corridor plan.

“The core objective, as detailed in the tender documents, is to develop a technically, economically, and socially feasible decongestion strategy that incorporates elevated or underground road solutions along with multimodal integration around the influence zone of ITO, which is one of the busiest areas,” a PWD official said.

ITO sees heavy traffic volumes from Ring Road, Vikas Marg, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg and Tilak Marg, converging into chaotic gridlocks during peak hours.

As per the tender, the consultant will be required to conduct a full spectrum of feasibility assessments, from geo-technical investigations and utility mapping to road safety audits and land acquisition planning. This includes detailed classified traffic volume counts, road safety audits, speed and delay analysis, origin-destination surveys and 3D walkthroughs for presentations to oversight bodies such as Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning & Engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC) and Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC).

“The DPR will include detailed design of all components of the project, cost estimates, economic and financial viability analysis, environmental and social feasibility, social and environmental action plans,” the order mentioned.

Notably, the study zone will not be limited to the ITO intersection, but will also extend up to 500 metres into all nearby approach roads and side streets.

“The consultant will also have to factor in the integration with other infrastructure plans like metro alignments or potential bus rapid transit and railway connections, considering future public transit demand in the area,” the official said.

Further, the study will also comprise cycle time of traffic, signages along the corridors, at mid points and pedestrian crossings, road inventory, existing openings in central verge and intersection, footpaths, preparation of detailed plans for traffic diversion, barricading and utility shifting.

Location for new electric poles, development of carriageway with uniform lane widths, and installing ramps, benches and planting beds will also be ascertained.

Other important surveys expected from the consultant include tree relocation, land acquisition and storm water drainage upgrades with sustainability and accessibility as key design parameters. Additionally, the consultant will liaise with over two dozen agencies, including Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Delhi Jal Board (DJB), Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), BSES and the forest department — to secure necessary No Objection Certificates (NOCs) and to ensure multimodal integration and rationalisation of on-street and off-street parking options around the corridor.

A pre-bid meeting is scheduled for June 18, and bids will be accepted until July 2. Following finalisation of the consultant, DPRs, designs and approvals are expected to be wrapped up within seven months.