Ashram to get 750-m tunnel to ease traffic

NEW DELHI: By March next year, those travelling from the city’s Nizamuddin will get signal-free access to New Friends Colony or Jamia on Mathura road — minus the perennial jam at the Ashram traffic junction.

This will be possible through a tunnel below the Ashram Chowk intersection, which records 429,000 vehicles every day.

The public works department (PWD) will build the 750-metre tunnel between Nizamuddin railway overbridge and CSIR apartment on Mathura road.

The PWD is calling the project an “architectural marvel” with four-layered traffic running across — two tunnels below the road and the flyover over it.

“The Delhi Metro is constructing a tunnel, which is almost complete. They have left space for another tunnel, which will be constructed above the Metro’s. All we need to do is to build a wall. This will take a year,” an official said.

The tunnel will cost `87 crore and 80% of the funds will come from the Centre. Work will begin after the project’s finances are approved.

The stretch has been a nightmare for commuters for the past two years because of flyover and Construction of tunnel will start from February 2017, likely to be completed by March 2018 DELHI ASHRAM road repairs, which have led to diversions. The ongoing Metro construction has also reduced road space, triggering traffic snarls on AshramChowkandMathuraRoad.

Another construction may not be good news for regulars using the stretch.

Officials said diversions will continue even after Metro work is completed by May.

“We will take over the same site,” an official said, warning THE TUNNEL WILL

Help decongest Ashram Chowk, which sees movement of 4.29 lakh vehicles every day

Make the intersection an architectural marvel with two tunnels below the road and a flyover, making the intersection a four-layer traffic system cost of project

length of tunnel

funds from Central Govt

that road space will continue to be restricted.

Ashram Chowk is the busiest intersection in the Capital as roads from central, south, and east Delhi meet here.

The Metro construction, frequent roadwork, lack of enough personnel to man traffic, and illegal parking by the roadside make the situation worse.

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