The long-pending problem of congestion at the Rao Tula Ram (RTR) flyover on Outer Ring Road in South Delhi may soon be resolved. The Public Works Department the engineering consultancy RITES will give the final presentation before a planning body —Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure Planning & Engineering Centre (UTTIPEC) — in this regard on April 5.
Both agencies have drawn up some conceptual proposals on how a three-lane flyover should be built on portals parallel to the existing RTR flyover.
Meanwhile, in a related development, several encroachments including security boxes and planters from the service lane near RTR flyover was removed by the Government on Saturday to give more space to vehicles to decongest the RTR flyover.
PWD officials on Saturday told The Pioneer that final presentation on the RTR flyover will be given before the UTTEPEC members on April 5. This includes staggering the take-off and landing points of the flyover and even extending the flyover till Munirka flyover to create an elevated stretch for those approaching from IIT and headed towards NH-8 and the airport.
Officials further stated that several unauthorised constructions in the service lanes were razed on Saturday. “Due to these constructions, local residents have been opposing the Government move to take over service lane to facilitate new flyover along with existing flyover,” officials said.
The Government is planning to ensure that there are three lanes available for vehicles. The additional flyover will allow vehicles from Munirka flyover to directly access the new RTR flyover as well. “The feasibility of such a plan is being studied. This idea was mooted since it will avoid the issue of removal of the Malai Mandir rock. The flyover will merge with the carriageway, thereby allowing commuters going to the airport avoid the RTR jam by going via an elevated road. The existing flyover can then function as a regular flyover for traffic moving from airport towards IIT,” said the official.
Doomed from the start, the Rao Tula Ram (RTR) flyover has become a huge bottleneck for commuters, who often have to spend more than a half-hour to cross the less than one-km stretch during peak hours. Originally a three-lane, one-way flyover, the RTR flyover has been converted into a two-way flyover with just one lane in either direction to cater to the heavy traffic in the area.