Eight years ago the MCD had started an ambitious project to build 1.6-km-long flyover to ease traffic in Old Delhi but the project has been not only delayed but also the total cost has gone up manifold. The long delay has escalated the cost from Rs177 crore to Rs724.22 crore.
The original deadline for the completion of the grade separator between St Stephen’s Hospital and Filmistan in North Delhi was before the 2010 Commonwealth Games, but that was not met. And after another seven years, the story remained the same.
Now the officials say that all the hurdles and bottlenecks have been removed and the project is on course. “The decision to demolish and relocate five religious structures that fall in the way of the flyover has paved the way to speed up the completion,” a senior official of North Delhi Municipal Corporation said.
The project was first proposed in 1998 and after that it had missed several deadlines. However, the corporation official said that the flyover would be completed by October 2017 as all the problems responsible for delay has been worked out. “The work was delayed mainly due to delay in land acquisition and exchange of land with Railways,” a senior Corporation official said.
Pace of the construction is satisfactory and the project is expected to be finished soon. All concerned agencies have been instructed to speed up the work. More than 70 per cent of the work has been completed and the remaining will be completed in the next five to six months, the official added.
On May 25, North Delhi Mayor Preeti Agarwal inspected the progress of the under-construction Rani Jhansi Grade Separator. During the inspection, the Mayor said that the aim of the project was to decongest traffic in the area. This would be a Diwali gift to the citizens by the corporation. It would be opened for vehicular movement towards ISBT, Kashmere Gate, Mori Gate etc to the citizens particularly of Shakti Nagar, Karol Bagh, Gulabi Bagh, Kamla Nagar, Sadar Bazar, Paharganj, Azad Market and surrounding areas.