New RTR flyover: Trial runs to start this week

PWD officials said the trial run will be conducted under restricted conditions during peak traffic hours in the morning and evening to check the load bearing capacity of the new facility.

Delhi’s public works department (PWD) will conduct a two-day trial run on the newly constructed 2.7-km long flyover parallel to the existing Rao Tula Ram (RTR) flyover in south Delhi from June 27.

The flyover branches out of Munirka flyover and ends before Army Hospital near Subroto Park close to National Highway-8. (HT Photo)

PWD officials said the trial run will be conducted under restricted conditions during peak traffic hours in the morning and evening to check the load bearing capacity of the new facility.

“Before we get a date for the inauguration of the newly constructed flyover, we want to conduct a trail run of vehicles on it to assess the load bearing capacity of the flyover and check other technical aspects as well. We are planning to start the trail run on June 27 during peak traffic hours,” a senior public works department official said.

The flyover branches out of Munirka flyover and ends before Army Hospital near Subroto Park close to National Highway-8. Once opened, this elevated road is likely to improve connectivity to the airport from south Delhi, east Delhi and Noida.The official said that currently the entrance to the flyover was closed through barricades.

He added that initially for half-an-hour PWD engineers will ride on the elevated road but later the facility will be opened for normal traffic for two hours each in the morning and the evening.

Another PWD official said that construction is over but some work related to fixing of street lights, painting of crash barrier and installation of signage was going on.

The government is yet to give a date for inauguration, but officials said that the facility is likely to be opened by the end of this month. “This flyover is one of the most important infrastructure projects of the city, so we want to be sure that there is no problem in the flyover before it is dedicated to the public. During the trial run marshalls will be deployed to render assistance,” the official said.

The three-lane elevated road is expected to reduce traffic congestion on the Outer Ring Road, RTR Marg and the Ring Road as most of the airport bound commuters use these stretches. The PWD officials say that once operational the facility will reduce the travel time to the airport from south Delhi areas by 15 to 20 minutes. As per Delhi Traffic Police estimates, the stretch – Munirka to RTR Marg -- has a daily vehicular movement of around 1.5 lakh vehicles.

Most of the traffic gets stuck at the foot of the existing RTR flyover, trying to manoeuvre their way onto the flyover.