Delhi’s Ashram underpass may be completed by Nov, says Jain
NEW DELHI: Marred by several delays, construction work on the Ashram underpass may now be completed a month before its newest deadline of December 31, state Public Works Department (PWD) minister Satyendar Jain said on Friday.
The Ashram intersection, where Ring Road and Mathura Road meet, is one of the busiest crossings in the national capital, and sees at least 350,000 vehicles pass through during the peak hours every day.
However, two major simultaneous infrastructure projects — the underpass, and an extension of the Ashram flyover — have resulted in routine traffic nightmares at the crossing, a problem that is exacerbated during the monsoon, as potholes and slush slow commuters to a crawl.
A site check by Hindustan Times on September 5 showed that the junction is in a mess owing to poor management of the construction site, recklessly dumped debris, and the absence of traffic monitoring checks to prevent prohibited vehicles from plying.
The underpass will connect Nizamuddin Railway Bridge and CSIR Apartments at the Ashram intersection. The extension of the Ashram flyover is likely to be completed by March 2022, a PWD official said.
Speaking at a press briefing on Friday, PWD minister Jain said stray power cables have delayed work on the underpass. These cables, he said, are being moved at different places within the hundred metres radius of the site and will be shifted in a month.
“We have expedited the process and are resolving all issues [holding back construction of the underpass]. The work on the underpass will be completed in two months. The roads around the Ashram underpass, which have been riddled with potholes, will be repaired after the monsoon,” Jain added.
Officials said that over 90% percent of the work has been completed at the construction, and just the construction of a 16-metre-long ramp remains, apart from painting and lighting work.
Work on the underpass has been interrupted by a cycle of delays over the years.
The state PWD began constructing the underpass in December 2019, with the aim of decongesting the traffic-heavy stretch.
Work on the underpass was initially due to be complete by December 2020.
HT reported on August 17 this year, quoting PWD officials, that having missed four deadlines already, the agency had fixed a December-end deadline for the project.
“The two projects have been hit by multiple setbacks in the last two years, including the state assembly polls in March 2020, Covid-19 lockdowns [from end-march 2020, and another one from April 19 till June 1 this year], labour shortages and a cash crunch,” a senior PWD official, who asked not to be named, said.
Last month, in the backdrop of complaints from many commuters, senior officials from the Delhi PWD, the city traffic police and other agencies concerned also conducted a survey to inspect the ongoing work at the vital crossing and examine how the project could be expedited.
“It is a welcome step and shows the sensitivity of the government towards people living in the area. The deadlines of other projects should be reviewed in such a way as well. The increased budget can also be saved when deadlines are chased so diligently,” said Professor Sewa Ram of the School of Planning and Architecture.
A PWD official said that apart from this project, a streetscaping project is also on at the stretch, which was due to be completed by September 2020. However, this project too has been delayed multiple times, and officials said they are now looking at a January 2022 deadline.
IT IS ONE OF THE BUSIEST
CROSSINGS IN THE NATIONAL CAPITAL, AND SEES AT LEAST 350,000 VEHICLES PASS THROUGH DURING THE PEAK HOURS EVERY DAY