Easy riding: 7 tunnels planned at key spots to ease Delhi traffic

These roads are likely to be short – each around 1 kilometre to 2.5 kilometres in length – to make them cost-effective and allow motorists to use them as soon as possible.

Delhi traffic police have proposed construction of seven tunnel roads in the city, a move that will open up badly clogged stretches like ITO where traffic jams are expected to come down by 80%, sources said on Thursday.

These roads are likely to be short – each around 1 kilometre to 2.5 kilometres in length – to make them cost-effective and allow motorists to use them as soon as possible.

“If you look at the way roads have been planned in Delhi you will notice that a lot of stretches have been left disconnected. The idea is to connect the missing links and provide an alternative route for commuters,” said Anil Shukla, joint commissioner of police (traffic).

A high-powered committee of the union transport ministry will soon examine the proposal and the traffic police hope at least one tunnel road will be ready in two years.

HT had run a 24-part series, Unclog Delhi, in August and September, identifying the city’s most congested stretches and possible ways to free them up.

These tunnel roads will connect parallel locations, for instance Bhagwan Das Road and Old Fort to Ring Road, easing traffic jams in adjacent areas like ITO, Mandi House, Tilak Marg, Mathura Road and Pragati Maidan.

A traffic police report says over 100,000 vehicles pass through the ITO crossing every day.

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