Opening of Ashram flyover extension postponed after Sisodia's arrest

The inauguration of the Ashram flyover extension scheduled for Tuesday has been postponed in light of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's arrest, officials said on Monday.

The inauguration of the Ashram flyover extension scheduled for Tuesday has been postponed in light of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's arrest, officials said on Monday. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was supposed to inaugurate it on Tuesday.

The Ashram flyover was shut for traffic on January 1 for construction work that will link it to a new overpass being built 50 metres away. (HT photo)

"The flyover extension was supposed to be thrown open to the public on Tuesday and had got the date from the chief minister's office. But in light of the recent developments, we will now have to seek a new date from his office. The work on the flyover extension has been completed," an official said.

The CBI on Sunday arrested Sisodia in connection with alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped excise policy for 2021-22 relating to the sale of alcohol. He was sent to five-day custody of the CBI by a special court here on Tuesday.

Sisodia, who also holds the Public Works Department (PWD) portfolio, had earlier this month conducted an on-sight inspection to assess the progress of the work.

The flyover will allow passengers to bypass three traffic lights between Ashram Chowk and DND, making vehicular movement smoother, according to officials.

At present, vehicles coming and going from Noida and Ghaziabad to South Delhi have to grapple with congestion while travelling from the DND loop to the Ashram intersection.

The construction work of the flyover extension started in June 2020 after the project was approved by the Cabinet. The total cost of the project is ₹128.25 crore while the total length of the flyover including the ramp is 1,425 metres.