Ghaziabad: GDA tells UP bridge authority to start work on two flyovers within a week

The two flyovers are tipped to reduce snarls at Raj Nagar Extension (RNE) and Vasundhara

The Ghaziabad development authority (GDA) on Friday said that the work on two proposed flyovers at Raj Nagar Extension (RNE) and Vasundhara will start within a week. The two proposed flyovers are meant to reduce congestion prevailing at the intersections.

The authority officials said that the project executing agency will soon start the work on the by-lanes and later on the structure of the two flyovers, as the designs have been vetted by IIT Roorkee. (Sakib Ali/HT PHOTO)

The authority officials said that the project executing agency will soon start the work on the by-lanes and later on the structure of the two flyovers, as the designs have been vetted by IIT Roorkee.

“All the formalities and necessary approvals have been cleared and the designs have also been vetted by IIT, Roorkee. We have asked the UP State Bridge Corporation not to delay the projects any further and expedite the process of implementation within a week. The work on by-lanes will be necessary in the initial stages, as commuters need an alternate way to move during construction of the main structure,” AK Gupta, officiating chief engineer, GDA, said.

However, the projects face an obstacle in the form of nearly 70 trees at RNE and more in areas which the twin flyovers are proposed to connect.

“The trees don’t fall under the protected forest areas. So, getting clearance from the forest department will not be an issue. We have already written to the forest officials and have also paid them the cost for planting new trees,” Gupta added.

The flyover at RNE will have two lanes and will be split type, as the regional rapid transit system corridor fall in the median of Meerut Road, erstwhile NH-58.

Unlike the RNE flyover, the Vasundhara flyover will also have three lanes to enable two-way movement of traffic on both sides and will not have a split type structure.

Officials said that they have asked the bridge corporation to start work on RNE flyover at the earliest, as it is the need of the hour for daily commuters. They added that the other proposed flyover at Hapur Chungi may be put on hold for the time being, as the area is not as congested despite heavy traffic.

Read I Ghaziabad: PWD approves flyover near Raj Nagar Extension

The cost of building the two flyovers have been pegged at ₹50 crore each and GDA has already paid an initial amount of ₹30 lakh for designing, soil testing for the RNE and Vasundhara flyovers.