Crucial roadworks at Delhi networks set to hamper traffic

The projects, cleared under the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF), form a part of a larger ₹803.39-crore allocation approved by the ministry of road transport and highways

Commuters using key traffic corridors at Wazirabad, Outer Ring Road and Mathura Road are set to face traffic snarls in the upcoming months as the Public Works Department (PWD) undertakes crucial road-strengthening works at some of the city’s busiest flyovers, officials of the department said.

These are not new projects, but essential upkeep that cannot be delayed, PWD said. (Representative photo/HT Archive)

To be sure, the exact timelines of the works were not shared, as the imposition of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) during high levels of pollution in winter may also curb the activity.

The works will be carried out on flyovers at Shastri Park, Seelampur, Gokulpuri, Rani Jhansi and Modi Mill, among others, they said.

“The sanctioned works include resurfacing, cold milling and structural strengthening of key flyovers that connect dense residential areas with major arterial roads. The PWD has been tasked with implementing the projects within a strict deadline and regular updates on the work also needs to be given,” a PWD official said, requesting anonymity.

The projects, cleared under the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF), form a part of a larger ₹803.39-crore allocation approved by the ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) for 152 projects under the PWD in Delhi this year.

Work on the Shastri Park and Seelampur flyovers, key conduits on the northeast Delhi corridor linking ISBT Kashmere Gate with Shahdara, is set to affect daily commuters using the Wazirabad Road, one of the most congested routes in the city. The centre has sanctioned ₹3.26 crore for this 3.11-kilometre stretch.

Work on the Gokulpuri flyover, a vital link on the crowded Loni–Nand Nagri stretch, is set to exacerbate traffic snarls, given that it is already prone to bottlenecks due to high pedestrian movement and market-bound traffic.

Work on the Rani Jhansi flyover, which was inaugurated to much fanfare in 2018 to ease congestion from Karol Bagh to Azad Market, is necessary at present as the 1.7-km structure is showing wear and tear.

Work on the 2.5-km Modi Mill flyover, which connects Ashram to Okhla and southeast Delhi, has also been approved at an approximate sanctioned cost of ₹8.82 crore. The elevated stretch logs heavy traffic from commercial vehicles heading towards Faridabad and daily commuters bound for Nehru Place and AIIMS. Repairs here are likely to spill over into extended diversions along the Mathura Road.

Work on strengthening the 1-km Wazirabad flyover, at a cost of ₹6.85 crore, is also part of the plan, besides strengthening of roads underneath flyovers at Sant Bairwa Marg, Tagore Garden Road and Devki Nandan Marg, at respective costs of ₹7.1 crore, ₹1.42 crore and ₹1.26 crore, in west Delhi. Other flyovers at Ashoka Road, Janakpuri, Gokulpuri and Loni Road are also set to undergo minor repairs.

Officials said that each project has been assigned a unique job number under the CRIF, for monitoring and adherence to national highway specifications on road thickness, geometry and safety norms. “The technical approval and financial sanction need to be completed within four months. These are not new projects, but essential upkeep that cannot be delayed,” the official said.

The PWD will be working mostly during the night, preparing diversion plans wherever necessary, and will also seek traffic police help in managing traffic if diversions are planned, but bottlenecks are nevertheless expected, according to officials.

Urban planners and experts say that while these repairs are critical to extend the life of structures already carrying traffic volumes much higher than they were originally designed for, the planning can be improved. Experts suggest phased repairs can ensure timely work, without hampering repairs.

S Velmurugan, chief scientist and head of the traffic engineering and safety division at the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), said, “The repair work can take less time if more manpower is put in place and multiple spans are taken up for repairs at one time. Additionally, sufficient notices and signage, along with traffic police deployment, should be made to avoid bottlenecks during repair work.”

“The work should be sufficiently advertised in advance so that people can plan their journeys. Also, all such work cannot be done at once and should be planned in phases, so that traffic can be managed better,” he said.