Metro’s clever leap over Dhaula Kuan

When DMRC's Airport Express Line passes over the Dhaula Kuan clover leaf flyover next July, it would be crossing eight roads and a railway line without holding up either the road traffic or the trains, reports Sidhartha Roy.

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is all set to add another feat to its list of tallest, deepest, longest achievements.

HT Image

When its Airport Express Line passes over the Dhaula Kuan clover leaf flyover next July, it would be crossing eight roads and a railway line without holding up either the road traffic or the trains.

The 540-metre stretch over Dhaula Kuan is part of DMRC’s 22.7 km Airport Express Line from New Delhi Railway Station to Indira Gandhi International Airport (extending up to Dwarka Sector 21).

The challenge for Metro authorities lay in not disturbing the movement of road and rail traffic below while constructing the stretch. After brainstorming for a year, they have taken an innovative approach to the problem.

By using stronger concrete, they will be able to increase the gap between pillars. “The pillars and viaduct on this stretch would be much slimmer and wouldn’t disturb the aesthetics of the area,” said DMRC spokesman Anuj Dayal.

In another first, DMRC would use single slabs between pillars instead of smaller pre-cast segments that need to be joined together. “The normal process hampers road traffic. These slabs would take less time to install and would be cast at the site itself,” said Dayal.

To ensure smooth flow of traffic, the roads would be widened to compensate for the space taken up by construction of pillars. “The pillars would take up eight metres of space for the first 20 days of construction and four metres thereafter,” explained Dayal.

Foundation work of the viaduct has already started. To be completed by 2010, the Airport Express Line would help passengers reach the airport in 18 minutes from New Delhi Railway Station by traveling at a speed of 135 kmph.