Plan to make Mangal Pandey Road signal-free gets arts body approval

NEW DELHI: Delhi Public Work Department’s (PWD) plan to make the 6.5-km stretch on Mangal Pandey Marg, connecting north-east Delhi and Uttar Pradesh border, signal-free received a go-ahead from the Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC).

The road improvement project, however, awaits sanction from the city government on the project cost. PWD officials said that the DUAC approval will make it easier for the project to get a financial clearance.

“There were two main hurdles — one was the financial approval from the state government, and the second was the approval from DUAC. The DUAC approved the proposal in December last year with some observations, which will be addressed. This will give us required momentum and help us get the financial clearance from the government,” a senior PWD official, familiar with the project, said requesting anonymity.

The project proposes building an underpass and two flyovers between Khajuri Chowk in northeast Delhi to Bhopura border. This stretch presently has over half a dozen traffic signals, which slows down vehicular movement. Traffic on the stretch has particularly increased since the opening of the Signature Bridge in November.

Once completed, it is estimated to reduce driving time between Khajuri Chowk and Bhopura border by over half an hour. At present, it takes over an hour to reach areas near UP border from Khajuri Chowk.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator from Mustafabad, Jagdish Pradhan, said this stretch was a crowded as it is punctuated by several congested market areas such as Yamuna Vihar, Bhajanpura, Khajuri Khas. “Traffic on the stretch has increased ever since the Signature Bridge was opened. Now the

free-flow traffic coming from the Outer Ring Road gets clogged in Bhajanpura and Yamuna Vihar. It is because of the traffic signals and heavy encroachment on the road. People often drive on the wrong side here making things worse,” Pradhan said.

He said he has raised the matter before the Delhi Assembly several times, but no constructive action has been taken.

Soon after the inauguration of the Signature Bridge, the traffic department had written to the PWD to widen the road by at least 6.5m on both sides of the carriageway, and also implement its corridor improvement plan.

“Last month, we received observations on the estimates of the project. We will soon send the revised estimates for approval,” another PWD official said.