Repair of ‘gaps’ on Lajpat Nagar flyover stuck for 4 months
DELAYED Repair work on the second carriageway of the flyover was scheduled to start on January 15 but has been repeatedly postponed
NEWDELHI: The repair work on the second carriageway of Lajpat Nagar flyover (Moolchand to Ashram) on Ring Road, which had developed gaps in December last year, is stuck for the last four months in want of permission from the Delhi Traffic Police.
The Public Works Department (PWD) authorities say they have written several letters to the traffic police department seeking permission to carry out repair work but to no avail. To carry out maintenance work PWD is demanding complete closure of the carriageway for around 10 days.
“Last week, our chief project manager (CPM) wrote letter to the joint commissioner of police (traffic) seeking permission for closure of traffic on the carriageway but no consent was given. Without written permission we cannot start repairing work which is much needed,” a PWD official said.
He said that repairing the gaps was important as it may lead to bigger problems in future.
Joint commissioner of police (traffic) Garima Bhatnagar, however, said that the traffic department is waiting for the completion of some construction work initiated by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), which is likely to be completed by April 15.
“We want some alternative route to be fixed for the commuters when the flyover is shut for repair and we can only do that once the road below the flyover is freed. We have no vested interest in not providing clearances and we will do that once an alternative route is cleared for use,” Bhatnagar said.
Initially, the repair work on the carriageway from Moolchand towards Ashram was to start from January 15. However, it was postponed due to Republic Day and was rescheduled for February 1. Again, it was delayed further because of unavailability of an alternative route to divert commuters.
According to the normal diversion plan, motorists going towards Ashram from Moolchand were to take the road below the flyover during the time traffic on the second carriageway were to be blocked.
“In February, the traffic department had conveyed that we can start the repair work after DMRC vacates the road below the flyover by the end of the month. The DMRC has constructed and opened the road for traffic on March 25. Yet, we are not being given permission to finish the pending repairing work,” the official said adding “the traffic department is now suggesting us to repair the bridge when schools are shut for summer vacation. This has been going on for the last four months. Our repairing machines and expansion joints remain unused.”
The Lajpat Nagar flyover was constructed in 2006 and had developed massive gaps on both of its carriageways. PWD had to do repairs in a phased manner and in the first segment, between January 1 and 14, one carriageway — from Ashram towards Moolchand — was repaired.