‘Congratulations to people of Delhi’: CM Kejriwal inaugurates Ashram flyover

Delhi’s Ashram flyover, closed for renovation and extension for over two months now, was inaugurated by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday.

The long-delayed flyover project, on which extension work was being completed to facilitate travel between Delhi and Noida, is anticipated to provide signal-free access from Noida DND to Lajpat Nagar and vice versa.

“Felicitations, Delhi. As of today, a new section of the Ashram viaduct is complete, the chief minister wrote on Twitter.

“People will be able to quickly reach AIIMS from Noida,” Kejriwal stated.

Monday at 5:00 p.m., the Delhi traffic police will officially open the 1.42-kilometer-long viaduct to the public.

Kejriwal stated that the corridor between Ashram and DND was previously plagued by several hour-long traffic jams, and that people will now be alleviated of this congestion as three traffic lights on this corridor will be bypassed.

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Chief engineer of the Public Works Department (PWD), Anant Kumar, stated that light vehicles will be permitted on the extended flyover for one month, while heavier vehicles will be permitted after the completion of pending work.

The extended Ashram viaduct is a crucial bypass that will allow vehicles to avoid the congested intersection of Mathura Road and Ring Road, which sees at least 350,000 vehicles daily.

The viaduct was closed beginning on January 1 for an initial period of 45 days while authorities worked to connect it to the extension a few metres ahead. After nearly 64 days, the Ashram flyover and its 1.4-kilometer extension to the DND flyway will once again be operational, reducing travel time between the two locations from over a half-hour to 45 minutes.

The project was approved by the Uniter Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (planning and engineering) Centre in 2017 and administrative approval of 129 crore was granted in 2019, according to the PWD chief engineer. Construction began in 2020, but the project was delayed for 8 to 10 months due to the pandemic and lockdown.

“The final administrative approval for the expense of the project was 164 billion. “Initially, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) was to take on certain aspects of the project, but the Public Works Department (PWD) assumed responsibility for them due to sluggish progress,” said Kumar.

As part of this initiative, PWD has constructed a subway along the Maharani Bagh Ring Road to facilitate pedestrian movement, according to Kumar.

As part of this initiative, PWD has constructed a subway along the Maharani Bagh Ring Road to facilitate pedestrian movement, according to Kumar.

Chirag Sharma, a commuter travelling from Barapullah to Ashram, expressed his dismay at the closure of the Sarai Kale Khan circle. “Given their past performance, we doubt that PWD will be able to conclude the project in one month,” he continued.

Kejriwal, praising the work done by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the nation’s capital over the years, stated that there are now 101 flyovers and underpasses in Delhi, 27 of which were constructed during the AAP administration.

Kejriwal, elaborating on the pending projects that will be completed in the coming years, stated, “Fifteen additional projects, including a six-lane viaduct in Punjab Bagh, will be completed by December 31, 2023. By August, the Anand Vihar flyover will be completed. The government will undertake projects such as the Mangal Pandey Marg flyover (Gagan Cinema), the rotary at Shalimar Bagh, the Maa Anandmayee flyover, the East-West corridor, and the North-South corridor.

The chief minister stated that the government is also working on a plan to beautify and mechanically sanitise the streets of Delhi. “In the first segment, 1,480 kilometres of public works roads will be cleaned. The beautification of highways has already begun. We must make all of Delhi attractive and devoid of congestion,” he added.

The six-lane superstructure intended to alleviate congestion at the intersection of Noida and Ashram was estimated to be completed in 12 months at an initial cost of 128.79 crore. According to department reports, however, 142.54 billion was spent on the endeavour.

Even though the project’s foundation stone was laid by the chief minister in December 2019, construction could not begin due to Covid-19 restrictions. During the second phase of Covid in April-May 2021 and the winter construction moratorium, the project’s progress was again impeded.