Delhi PWD Minister Atishi on Friday directed officials to expedite the construction of two flyovers between Punjabi Bagh and Raja Garden, and complete them by October instead of December to avoid inconvenience to commuters.  The project’s deadline is in December and according to a statement, the public works department (PWD) has completed 50 per cent of works.

 The new flyovers will significantly reduce the traffic load on the Ring Road corridor, the minister said after an inspection of the projects.  She directed officials to expedite the construction and complete it by October instead of December to avoid any inconvenience to commuters, the statement said.

 On the benefits of the flyovers, the statement said this will save time of commuters and also reduce fuel consumption.  The flyovers will make traffic movement smoother in the Punjabi Bagh area and help reduce 1.60 lakh tons of carbon emissions as well as save 18 lakh litres of fuel annually, it said.

These will lead to annual savings of Rs 200 crore of the public, the statement said and added that the total cost of the project will be recovered within a few years.  The existing single flyover at Punjabi Bagh will be doubled, it said. There is currently a one-way road at this location.

 The construction of a new flyover, spanning 1,300 metres with six lanes, between the ESI Metro Station and the Club Road is also underway. Furthermore, the construction of two subways and a foot-over bridge is being carried out for pedestrians in the area.

 “The PWD and our engineers are working round the clock to not only beautify Delhi’s roads but also expand them to reduce traffic congestion. In this regard, the doubling of the flyover and expansion in Punjab Bagh will prove to be a game-changer in reducing traffic load on existing roads and contributing to Delhi’s progress,” Atishi said.

 The corridor between the Punjabi Bagh flyover and the Raja Garden flyover is a part of the Ring Road and this section carries a significant vehicular load as it connects with the NH-10 Rohtak Road, through which traffic from Haryana enters the national capital.

 It also connects North Delhi to South Delhi, Gurgaon, and other parts of the the National Capital Region.  The existing flyovers and low-capacity intersections in this area are not sufficient to handle the current traffic load, leading to congestion.

 The constructions on this corridor will shift the traffic from existing roads to an elevated road, which will benefit lakhs of people commuting in and around Delhi-NCR on a daily basis. 

According to the statement, around 1.25 lakh vehicles will use the two flyovers everyday.