Traffic plan for NDLS revamp to help ease congestion at Connaught Place
NEW DELHI: The Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) will invite bids for the implementation of the traffic circulation and road improvement plan around the New Delhi Railway Station in July. The ₹1,000-crore traffic circulation project — part of the overall New Delhi station revamp plan — will not only ease access to the new complex but also help decongest Connaught Place, said senior RLDA officials.
Ved Parkash Dudeja, vicechairman of RLDA, said, “A detailed plan has been prepared to cater to the increase in traffic and ensure smooth traffic movement in and around the station complex. This will also help in reducing congestion in Connaught Place. We will invite the bids for implementation of the project next month.”
“The project will be executed on engineering procurement and contract (EPC) model,” said a senior DDA official. Under the EPC model, government invites bids for engineering knowledge from the private players and bears the entire cost of construction and material.
According to the plan, RLDA will construct 23-lane kilometres of elevated corridors (a total road of nearly 11km) and widen road arteries around the station such as Panchkuian road, Basant Road, Chelmsford Road, Bhavbhuti Marg and Minto Road in the first phase of the project. Since the roads belong to Delhi government’s Public Works Department (PWD), RLDA officials said that the plan has been prepared in consultation with the agency.
Lane kilometre is a method employed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) that involves measuring the length of each new lane that is built instead of counting the overall length of the highway. For instance, one km of a four lane highway is counted as four kilometres under the method.
“We are just improving the capacity of roads around the station so that they can take the increased traffic load. The plan has been discussed with PWD officials and necessary permission will be taken when the work starts. For the road widening work at Basant Road, a portion of the railway land will be used,” said a senior RLDA official, aware of the development.
A Delhi government spokesperson said, “This project will not only solve the congestion problem, but also provide open spaces to people and beautify the area.”
After the first phase of the revamp, the built-up area of the New Delhi station -- one of the busiest rail hubs in the country -is going to increase from the current approximately 1.1million sq.ft to over 5.5 million sq ft. After the full revamp, the total built up area of the station will increase to nearly 33 lakh sq.ft.
Senior RLDA officials said that the road improvement is necessary as footfall in the area is going to increase, as new commercial and office complexes and residential facilities etc are proposed to come up as part of the station redevelopment plan. Currently, 450,000 passengers visit the station daily (160-170 million people annually).
Currently, there are two main entry points to the station from Ajmeri Gate and Paharganj, and both are congested.
To ensure there are no traffic jams due to the increase in vehicular traffic around the station, RLDA has decided to have separate entry and exit routes to the station complex. “The station bound traffic will enter from Basant Road, Chelmsford Road and Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg. Two elevated sections will be constructed on Basant Lane and Chelmsford Road for entry to the station. A flyover will be constructed on DDU marg for the entry,” said an official.
Similarly, traffic will exit the station using the ramps constructed on Chelmsford Road, Bhavbhuti Road, and Asaf Ali Marg, said a senior RLDA official.
The traffic circulation plan, which will be executed by RLDA, was approved by the Unified Traffic and Transportation (Planning and Engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC) in December last year.
The State Entry Road is proposed to be developed as a pedestrian only street. “The project will be completed within four years from the date of start,”rlda officials said.