Govt approves budget for elevated road, flyover projects in east and west Delhi

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government on Tuesday approved two key flyover/elevated corridor projects, to be built at a cumulative cost of ₹724 crore, to decongest arterial roads in east and west Delhi.

Both projects have been cleared by the Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure Centre (UTTIPEC) and were awaiting the financial nod for work to commence.

The expenditure finance committee chaired by deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia gave financial approval for the construction of an elevated corridor between Punjabi Bagh flyover and Raja Garden flyover at a cost of ₹352 crore and a flyover between Anand Vihar overbridge and Apsara Border at a cost of ₹372 crore.

After the meeting, Sisodia, who also holds the finance portfolio, said, “Lakhs of commuters will benefit from the construction of these flyovers. These projects will eliminate traffic problems by increasing the capacity of existing roads and make them safer.” He added that since these projects are vital for decongesting traffic, they shall be completed within 18 months.

A senior government official said since both an Interstate Bus Terminus and a railway station are located in Anand Vihar, the area serves as an important transit location for the city. “The road is also the main route from north-east Delhi to Ghaziabad and Noida. Owing to these reasons, the traffic load there has increased significantly and a flyover will make the flow smoother,” the official said, asking not to be named.

The public works department (PWD) will develop a six-lane flyover between Anand Vihar railway overbridge and Apsara border, the official said. Besides easing the traffic flow on the busy stretch by allowing nondestined traffic to bypass the three key intersections of Ramprastha, Vivek Vihar and Raghunath Mandir, the project will also benefit residents of Anand Vihar, Ramprastha Colony, Vivek Vihar, Surajmal Vihar, Yojana Vihar and

Shrestha Vihar who currently waste a considerable amount of time navigating through snarls.

A study commissioned by the PWD has shown that 70% of traffic on this corridor is nondestined -- vehicles merely passing through the area -- while only 30% is local.

The project intends to provide a six-lane elevated alternative by extending the Anand Vihar railway overbridge, thereby bypassing the three intersections, and keeping local traffic to the ground level.

PWD also plans to provide two ramps before Ramprastha and Vivek Vihar intersections to facilitate local traffic, official associated with the project said. UTTIPEC had approved the project in September 2018.