PWD to double Kalkaji flyover in Delhi, merge it with corridor at Modi Mill

PWD said it has sought an expenditure sanction of ₹300 crore and the matter is being taken up by the PWD secretariat, under the Delhi government

The Public Works Department (PWD) has sent the proposal for administrative approval to construct an elevated road parallel to the Kalkaji flyover in south Delhi, senior PWD officials said on Monday, adding that the work is part of a plan to build a signal-free corridor from Modi Mill to the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi.

Presently, a one-way flyover comprising three lanes facilitates vehicular traffic from Modi Mill towards Nehru Place while vehicles travelling in the opposite carriageway move at the surface level. (Sanjeev Verma/HT Photo)

PWD said it has sought an expenditure sanction of ₹300 crore and the matter is being taken up by the PWD secretariat, under the Delhi government.

Presently, a one-way flyover comprising three lanes facilitates vehicular traffic from Modi Mill towards Nehru Place while vehicles travelling in the opposite carriageway move at the surface level. PWD will convert this to a six-lane flyover with three lanes on either side. “The project will be to build a six-lane flyover along with its extension to meet the ramp of the six-lane Modi Mill flyover leading to an elevated corridor on the stretch,” a PWD official said, asking not to be named.

Traffic merges from four sides on the section of the Outer Ring road near Okhla NSIC Metro station — connecting Okhla Mandi near Captain Gaur Marg with Okhla Estate, Sarita Vihar and Faridabad to the south; Ashram and New Friends Colony to the north and Sukhdev Vihar and Jamia Millia Islamia on the eastern side of the corridor — often leading to snarls. The project will also involve widening and redesigning the surface-level road on either side of the flyover.

To be sure, the project is still a long way away from the work on the ground starting. Once the administrative approval is granted and the expenditure is sanctioned, the proposal will be sent to the Delhi cabinet for approval from the Delhi government. After this, open tenders will be floated and a company will be selected to execute the project. “The estimate of ₹300 crore may be revised. We are estimating that the project may take two years,” he added.

The plan to make this Outer Ring Road corridor signal-free was approved by Delhi’s former lieutenant governor Anil Baijal, and cleared by the Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure Planning and Engineering Centre (UTTIPEC) — the infrastructure planning arm of the Delhi Development Authority on June 22, 2017.

A second official said that over the years, several pending clearances from other agencies have been secured. “We are hoping the expenditure sanction will be granted after the annual budget,” the second official added.

In subsequent phases, the agency also plans to decongest the 8km corridor by doubling the single-carriageway flyover at Savitri Cinema. The Outer Ring Road is one of the most important routes to the Delhi airport.

The Delhi government said the project was a step towards improving connectivity and easing traffic congestion in South Delhi. “It will reduce travel time and congestion along these critical corridors,” it said.

Once complete, the project is likely to provide relief to residents in areas such as Okhla, Ashram, Sukhdev Vihar, Kalkaji and neighbouring areas. However, commuters might face delays and snarls during the construction period.

Traffic worries

To be sure, PWD has a poor track record in terms of completing projects on time, and the delays and inadequate diversion plans often lead to traffic jams for months on end. The agency recently completed the doubling of the Sarai Kale Khan flyover where a one-way flyover existed previously. The new flyover was inaugurated last October, after multiple delays dogged the Ashram and Kale Khan upgradation projects. In March last year, the agency carried out repair work on the Chirag Delhi flyover, which is around 200m away from the Savitri flyover. In the first phase, the Nehru Place-IIT Delhi carriageway was shut, while in the second phase, the flyover was closed for commuters travelling in the opposite direction, triggering jams. HT has also reported how commuters on west Delhi side of the Outer Ring Road continue to face snarls where an elevated corridor is being developed between the Punjabi Bagh and Moti Nagar flyovers.

Experts said that single-direction flyovers were not sustainable and the traffic assessment should be taken into consideration to plan for such infrastructure in a better fashion.

“These single ramp flyovers only shift the congestion node from one point to another. The corridor development along the entire stretch is the required long-term solution. Once complete, the corridor will be helpful,” said Dr S Velmurugan, chief scientist and head of traffic engineering and safety division, CRRI.