Final underpass at Pragati Maidan stalled over nod from central ministries

While MoHUA approved the engineering solution, the Railways has not granted the operational clearances needed to resume construction under the active tracks

Work on the last of the six underpasses of the Pragati Maidan tunnel project has remained stuck for the past three months, as two central ministries — the ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA) and the ministry of railways — have been unable to reach an agreement on how to complete the partially constructed structure.

Of the six underpasses of the Pragati Maidan tunnel project , Underpass 5, along Bhairon Marg, is yet to be completed. (File Photo/HT)

The impasse has left a crucial stretch between south and east Delhi burdened with persistent traffic congestion, even as the project enters its third year of delay.

While the main tunnel and five underpasses were inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and opened to the public in June 2022, Underpass 5, along Bhairon Marg, is yet to be completed.

The project, being executed by the Delhi public works department (PWD), has been stalled since mid-2023, when construction halted after the sinking and shifting of two concrete boxes that were being pushed under an active railway bridge.

“There has been no movement on the file for over three months, despite repeated follow-ups. With approvals pending, the project site remains idle. At this point, it seems like the project will have to be abandoned,” said a Delhi government official, asking not to be named.

PWD officials said the underpass was being constructed using box-push technology, but heavy waterlogging during the monsoon of 2023 caused the boxes to sink. The site’s proximity to the Yamuna, high groundwater levels, and the presence of three active railway lines above the tunnel compounded the engineering challenges. Construction could only be undertaken during a four-hour nightly window when train movement was restricted.

After months of technical reviews and consultations with IIT-Delhi and IIT-Bombay, the PWD proposed a redesign earlier this year. The revised design reduces the height and width of the underpass, limits it to light motor vehicles, and narrows the carriageway from three lanes to two. Officials said this was the only technically feasible approach without dismantling the railway tracks.

“The department worked on several solutions and also took expert opinion from IIT-Delhi and IIT-Bombay before finalising the redesign. We are hoping to begin work soon,” said a PWD official.

According to officials, IITs had initially recommended a “cut and cover” method, which would require dismantling the railway tracks, correcting the settlement of the concrete boxes, and relaying the tracks after completing the underpass. Although the method would take about 40 days, it requires a complete ban on train movement on the section, permission for which the Railways has not granted yet.

IIT-Delhi also suggested a cast in-situ approach from the Ring Road side, which does not require lifting or repositioning the settled boxes. However, this significantly reduces the underpass dimensions: the height would drop from 5.5 metres to 3.9 metres and the width from 11.5 metres to 6.25 metres, effectively converting the planned three-lane corridor into a two-lane passage meant only for smaller vehicles.

PWD submitted the revised design to MoHUA in June. While MoHUA approved the engineering solution, the Railways has not granted the operational clearances needed to resume construction under the active tracks.

If approvals are secured, officials estimate it will take around eight months to complete the remaining 28 metres of the 110-metre underpass. The structure is divided into two sections: a completed two-lane carriageway used by traffic from ITO–Ring Road towards Bhairon Marg, and the still incomplete three-lane carriageway meant to carry vehicles from Bhairon Marg towards Ring Road.

The underpass is part of the integrated corridor designed to ease movement around Pragati Maidan and provide signal-free connectivity between Sarai Kale Khan ISBT and Kashmere Gate. Until the missing section is built, Bhairon Marg-bound traffic is forced to take diversions and U-turns, adding to commuters’ travel time on one of the city’s busiest stretches.

Officials said they are awaiting final clearance from the railways ministry, without which construction cannot resume. For now, there is no timeline for when work on Underpass 5 will restart, they added.