Wazirabad bridge to close temporarily

If you live in northeast Delhi or have your workplace there, prepare yourself for traffic jams and diversion from Sunday.

If you live in northeast Delhi or have your workplace there, prepare yourself for traffic jams and diversion from Sunday.

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The public works department has decided to close the Wazirabad Bridge for traffic from January 23 to January 30. Senior PWD engineers said the road on the bridge has worn out and asking for immediate repair.

"We have to carry out dense carpeting of the road, which cannot be done without restricting traffic movement,” PWD chief engineer (maintenance) - east zone, Vinay Kumar said.

A senior PWD engineer said, "Since it is a two-lane bridge without a central verge, we cannot allow traffic to move on one lane. It can lead to accidents. (But) we will try and finish the work as soon as possible."

The bridge serves as lifeline for lakhs of people living in several northeast Delhi colonies. Those living in northeast Delhi colonies of Yamuna Vihar, Bhajanpura, Karawal Nagar, Gokulpuri, Nand Nagari and other such areas use the bridge to cross the river.

Joint Commissioner of Police (traffic) Satyendra Garg said the traffic will be diverted to the ISBT Bridge. "The Geeta Colony bridge will also take some load but most vehicles including buses will be diverted to the ISBT bridge. It is certainly going to give some hardships to commuters but repair of bridge is important and we have to strike a balance between convenience and necessity," Garg said.

Though the written permission is for the work to begin from January 23 but the work will actually begin from February 1.