Traffic snarls as Chirag Delhi flyover partly shut for repairs

The repairs to the flyover will take 50 days and will involve the closing of each of the carriageways in two 25-day windows.

Authorities on Sunday evening shut one carriageway of the Chirag Delhi flyover in south Delhi for repairs, triggering jams on a key segment of the Outer Ring Road that will only be choked further when the work week begins on Monday.

Repair work underway on the Chirag Delhi flyover on Sunday. (Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)

The repairs to the flyover will take 50 days and will involve the closing of each of the carriageways in two 25-day windows.

In the first phase, which started on Sunday, the Nehru Place-IIT Delhi carriageway has been shut, while in the second phase, the flyover will be closed for commuters travelling in the opposite direction.

Shortly after the lanes were shut at 4.30pm on Sunday, there were bumper-to-bumper jams around the flyover, stretching to the Nehru Enclave Metro station on the Outer Ring Road on one side and up to the Siri Fort Road on Josip Broz Tito Marg on the other.

Special commissioner of police (traffic) Surender Singh Yadav said, “The overall traffic situation at Chirag Delhi flyover and the adjoining roads was well under control as we had made adequate deployment of traffic police officials to monitor and manage the flow of vehicles. We had already conducted a trial of the situation in the past and accordingly planned our arrangements. On Monday, the number of traffic staff may be increased, considering the ground situation. We are also in regular contact with the agencies concerned.”

HT visited the spot at 11am and found that multiple Public Works Department (PWD) field teams were deployed to demolish a traffic island and the extension of a footpath at the intersection of the BRT corridor so that slip roads below the flyover could be expanded.

A team from the horticulture department was deputed to chop off low-hanging branches of nearby trees to facilitate the movement of heavy vehicles.

Many commuters were caught unawares. Ritesh Dewan, who was heading towards Hauz Khas from Kalkaji, said that there were no signboards along the route to warn of the closure. “Everyone is confused. The traffic management is pathetic. It took me 10-15 minutes to cross the flyover section alone,” he said.

Milan Gupta, another commuter, said: “It took us 20 minutes to cross the closed section on a Sunday evening. I wonder what will happen from tomorrow.”

The Chirag Delhi flyover is around 200m away from the Savitri Cinema flyover, which too is set to be shut for repairs, but PWD officials said the dates are yet to be finalised and it is unlikely that both flyovers will be closed at the same time. “The repair of expansion joints in the case of the Chirag Delhi was long overdue. These joints need to be repaired after 15 years. Once the repair work is complete, it will help in a smoother commute for people,” the official said.

Sewa Ram, professor of transport planning at the School of Planning and Architecture, said the Outer Ring Road corridor is important for the overall mobility of south Delhi. “The entire load of the closed carriageway has shifted to the surface level, while the slip roads are not wide enough. The agencies will have to moderate the incoming traffic at Savitri Cinema, which should be a part of overall site management,” he said.