In addition to embarking on a city-wide road renovation exercise to pre-empt water-logging and traffic congestion complaints well before monsoon arrives next year, the Delhi government’s Public Works Department (PWD) had other surprises for the Capital’s residents in 2016.
A signal-free, six-lane corridor was thrown open to the public at the Mukundpur Chowk on Outer Ring Road, which caters to an estimated 1.75 lakh vehicles per day, even as construction on the much-delayed Signature Bridge near Wazirabad resumed after monsoon.
The bridge has been under construction for more than a decade. It obtained environmental clearance in 2011 and was to be completed by December 2013.
An official said that the initial cost of the project was Rs.1,594 crore, which had now been revised to around Rs.1,575 crore. The construction of the bridgeat the north and east ends is complete, and the central portion may be completed in 2017.
Mukundpur flyover
Meanwhile, the new flyover at Mukundpur is expected to shave four minutes off commute time on the stretch while benefiting traffic in adjacent areas.
Part of the larger 23.6km-long Vikaspuri-Wazirabad corridor, the government said the new flyover will significantly ease traffic congestion on the Outer Ring Road and NH-1. The 900-metre flyover has been constructed at a cost of Rs.50 crore against its estimated cost of Rs.60 crore.
Redesigning roads
The Delhi government’s decision to redesign ten prominent stretches in line with international standards across the Capital also came closer to being implemented. The project will be executed at a cost of around Rs.5,000 crore.
Government sources said efforts were on to ensure completion by first quarter of 2017.
