To address traffic congestion problems at Kalindi Kunj intersection, authorities are planning to construct an interchange facility and a flyover. This is a long-term solution proposed to eliminate traffic conflict and improve the flow of traffic between Delhi, Noida and Faridabad.
According to sources, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will hire a consultant to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for the construction of the structures regarding the improvement of the poor traffic movement at Kalindi Kunj bridge connecting the Delhi-Noida road and Agra Canal Road near Okhla Barrage.
According to the plan, a 500-metre-long interchange facility is being planned, having an estimated construction cost of `500 crore.
At the Kalindi Kunj intersection, traffic from south Delhi, Noida and Faridabad all merge at one point, causing major traffic congestion during morning and evening rush hours.
“In 2022, the UP Public Works Department conducted a feasibility study for addressing the problems faced by daily commuters and the report recommended the construction of interchanges and flyover at the Kalindi Kunj intersection to eliminate the conflict of traffic,” says a Government document.
The study was carried out by the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) using Kalindi Kunj metro station and those travelling between Delhi, Noida and Faridabad areas.
Recently, during a meeting between Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, the matter was discussed.
“In the meeting, it was emphasised to address severe traffic congestion at Kalindi Kunj and it was suggested to NHAI to prepare a DPR for an interchange at Okhla Barrage,” sources said.
Based on the suggestions from the CRRI’s report and other remedial actions, the NHAI has invited bids from consultants to prepare a project report.
“Interchange facility is a road intervention made to separate the traffic. The Kalindi Kunj intersection, which is connected to the bridge over Yamuna, has been a major traffic congestion point for years. “So, a flyover or a grade separator like the one at Modi Mill flyover in Delhi could be a solution,” said S Velmurugan, Chief Scientist and Head of the Traffic Engineering and Safety Division (CRRI). Currently, the tender for preparation of the DPR has been invited with a deadline of June 23. Once a routine crossing where Delhi bled into Noida, the Kalindi Kunj junction has now turned into a daily grind for thousands travelling to and from Sarita Vihar Faridabad, Okhla and Noida.
Since the 24-km stretch of the Delhi-Mumbai opened along the Agra Canal last Nov, the area became a casualty to motorists’ preference for the shorter distance, attracting traffic from Delhi, Noida and Faridabad. Many car owners now favour this route to the jam-prone Mathura Road. Driving from Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg past Apollo Hospital in Sarita Vihar, commuter enter the lanes leading up to the intersection through GD Birla Marg, which can caters to traffic from Sarita Vihar and Okhla.