PWD begins soil investigations for doubling Kalkaji flyover

PWD has begun soil investigations for parallel flyovers at Kalkaji and Savitri Cinema to tackle traffic issues on South Delhi's Outer Ring Road.

The Public Works Department (PWD) has started soil investigation and geotechnical surveys for constructing parallel flyovers at Kalkaji and Savitri Cinema on the Outer Ring Road in South Delhi.

PWD begins soil investigations for doubling Kalkaji flyover

Officials said borewells are being dug near the Okhla metro station stretch of the Kalkaji flyover to collect soil samples, assess rock formations, and study groundwater levels. A similar exercise will be carried out later at the Savitri Cinema flyover.

The survey will help determine soil capacity and foundation requirements for the new structures.

The project aims to double the one-way Savitri and Kalkaji flyovers and merge them with a new flyover linking the Modi Mill flyover along the Outer Ring Road – a move that officials say is likely to help with the rising traffic issues along the key road in south Delhi.

HT reported on Saturday how the recently laid surface of the Savitori flyover is once again full of crater-like potholes.

The Delhi government submitted the proposal on July 21, with an estimated cost of ₹412 crore. Officials said construction will take at least a year once it begins. Last month, PWD also wrote to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and other agencies seeking mandatory approvals.

“The minister has reviewed the project and directed that all permissions be secured before starting work. In the past, lack of clearances has delayed projects. The geotechnical survey is part of the preparatory phase,” a PWD official said.

HT had earlier reported that PWD plans is to construct the flyover from ₹1,000 crore allocated to Delhi under the Central Road Fund (CRF), which requires approval from MoHUA. The department may make a requisition for additional funds if required, the official said.

Currently, a single lane near the Modi Mill flyover has been barricaded for survey work, causing minor traffic disruptions. However, the eventual construction phase will need large-scale traffic diversions on the already congested Outer Ring Road.

The 1.5-km Savitri Cinema flyover, with two lanes carrying traffic from Nehru Place towards Chirag Delhi and IIT Delhi, will be expanded to two-way traffic under the project. Sandwiched between the Chirag Delhi and Kalkaji flyovers, it has long been a bottleneck point. PWD’s plans also include strengthening the Kalkaji flyover to handle additional traffic load.