Govt approves budget for road projects in east and west Delhi

The proposed flyover projects have been cleared by the Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure Centre and were awaiting the financial nod for work to commence

The Delhi government on Tuesday approved two key flyover/elevated corridor projects, to be built at a cumulative cost of ₹724 crore, to decongest arterial roads in east and west Delhi.

The projects will be built at a cumulative cost of ₹724 crore. (Picture for representation only)

Both projects have been cleared by the Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure Centre (UTTIPEC) and were awaiting the financial nod for work to commence.

The expenditure finance committee chaired by deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia gave financial approval for the construction of an elevated corridor between Punjabi Bagh flyover and Raja Garden flyover at a cost of ₹352 crore and a flyover between Anand Vihar overbridge and Apsara Border at a cost of ₹372 crore.

After the meeting, Sisodia, who also holds the finance portfolio, said, “Lakhs of commuters will benefit from the construction of these flyovers. These projects will eliminate traffic problems by increasing the capacity of existing roads and make them safer.” He added that since these projects are vital for decongesting traffic, they shall be completed within 18 months.

A senior government official said since both an Interstate Bus Terminus and a railway station are located in Anand Vihar, the area serves as an important transit location for the city. “The road is also the main route from north-east Delhi to Ghaziabad and Noida. Owing to these reasons, the traffic load there has increased significantly and a flyover will make the flow smoother,” the official said, asking not to be named.

The public works department (PWD) will develop a six-lane flyover between Anand Vihar railway overbridge and Apsara border, the official said. Besides easing the traffic flow on the busy stretch by allowing non-destined traffic to bypass the three key intersections of Ramprastha, Vivek Vihar and Raghunath Mandir, the project will also benefit residents of Anand Vihar, Ramprastha Colony, Vivek Vihar, Surajmal Vihar, Yojana Vihar and Shrestha Vihar who currently waste a considerable amount of time navigating through snarls.

A study commissioned by the PWD has shown that 70% of traffic on this corridor is non-destined -- vehicles merely passing through the area -- while only 30% is local. The project intends to provide a six-lane elevated alternative by extending the Anand Vihar railway overbridge, thereby bypassing the three intersections, and keeping local traffic to the ground level while non-destined traffic takes the flyover.

PWD also plans to provide two ramps before Ramprastha and Vivek Vihar intersections to facilitate local traffic, official associated with the project said. “At surface level, the corridor improvement project will also include non-motorised vehicle lanes(for e-rickshaws, rickshaws and bicycles), and wider footpath for pedestrians. Other pedestrian facilities such as resting benches, tactile pavers, modification of footpath incline and provisions for wheelchair movement have also been added to the plan,” the official said. UTTIPEC had approved the project in September 2018.

West Delhi corridor

The second project will come up on the arterial Ring Road between Raja Garden flyover and Punjabi Bagh flyover, a government official said. “Commuters on this stretch battle heavy traffic during peak hours. The one-way flyovers and low-capacity intersections lead congestion creating problems for both commuters and residents of nearby colonies. In such a situation, a corridor development between Raja Garden flyover and Punjabi Bagh flyover will help ease the traffic flow and bring relief to lakhs of interstate commuters daily,” the official quoted above said.

The project will involve development of a six-lane elevated corridor from the ESI Hospital to the existing Club Road one-way flyover. “We will be expanding the Club Road half flyover from two lanes to six lanes while the existing Moti Nagar half flyover will be expanded from two lanes to six lanes, facilitating two-way traffic,” official said.

UTTIPEC had cleared the project in December 2020 and once ready, It is expected to decongest Ring Road and improve its carrying capacity. It will help provide signal-free movement from Dhaula Kuan to Azadpur on the Ring Road.

A second PWD official said the length of the existing flyover at the Club Road intersection will also be increased from the its current 600 metres to about 1.5km, to extend up to the ESI Hospital.

It also incorporates shifting of existing subway ramps near ESI Hospital towards the service road and development of RCC drains, footpaths, strengthening and beautification of existing roads. Both projects were awaiting financial nod from the government for the past several years.