It seems like the wait for the Rani Jhansi Road grade separator project is not going to get over soon. The 1.6-km-long four-lane grade separator project, which was supposed to have been completed in September 2010 and later pushed to 2014, will now be completed by next year.
This grade-separator, which was supposed to be a boon for trans-Yamuna commuters by decongesting traffic prone area, has become a bane due to a delay of five long years.
After the trifurcation of the erstwhile MCD, North Corporation took over the project and has now said the project will be completed by 2016. The 1.6-km-long four-lane grade separator is to be constructed from Tis Hazari courts to Filmistan cinema.
“Earlier there were some land acquisition issues we had to solve in this area. The work orders have been issued to shift water lines near DCM chowk and nearly 50 per cent work is complete. We are sure that by next year the project will be complete without any fuss,” said an official in North MCD.
In 2007, the estimated cost of the project was aimed at Rs177 crore as a key Commonwealth Games project. However owing to the cost escalation over these years, the civic agency will have to pay an additional Rs30 crore. Sources said the revised cost would exceed Rs200 crore.
The land acquisition issues involving the Northern Railways and Delhi Metro have been sorted out and the shop owners from the adjacent Azad Market, tyre market and Modal Basti have been relocated. The delay in acquisition of this land was the biggest hurdle in completion of the project. The North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NMC) with assistance from the local police began the acquisition process by relocating people from these areas to places like Idgah and Jakhira where some land was identified for the purpose.
For construction of grade separator on Rani Jhansi Road, several property owners in the tyre market and on railway and DUSIB land were affected. The MCD tyre market has been shifted to Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar and the Railways has been offered land on Bhavbhuti Marg. The land in Azad Market and Model Basti could not be acquired as the private owners had demanded rehabilitation and not compensation.
“The civic body paid Rs70 crore to the land Acquisition Department of the Delhi Government. NMC began the acquisition process by relocating people to places like Idgah and Jakhira,” said an official.
The project aims to de-congest and ease traffic congestion on Rani Jhansi Road, Bara Hindu Rao, DCM Chowk, Azad Market and Baraf Khana Chowk to reach St Stephen’s Hospital, Subzi Mandi chowk and Azad Market Chowk. This would benefit trans-Yamuna commuters by decongesting jam-prone areas around these two places. While one arm of the grade separator comprising two lanes would open out to Bara Hindu Rao Hospital the other arm again comprising two lanes would open out to Barfkhana Chowk.