After 10-yr wait, Rani Jhansi flyover to be opened by September-end

Delayed by a decade, the construction work on the Rani Jhansi flyover is over and it is expected to be opened to traffic by the end of this month, the incharge of the project said on Tuesday.

Work on the 1.6-km-long flyover, which starts near St Stephen’s Hospital and runs till Filmistan Cinema, started in 2008. The project is expected to decongest several areas in north and central Delhi. Once operational, it will streamline vehicular movement towards ISBT, Kashmere Gate, and Mori Gate and particularly in Shakti Nagar, Karol Bagh, Gulabi Bagh, Kamla Nagar, Sadar Bazar, Paharganj, Azad Market and surrounding areas.

The North Delhi Municipal Corporation official said the civil work has been completed and the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) was conducting a stability test before the project is thrown open to the traffic.

“Except for some beautification work at the flyover, all work is done. Concerned about the stability and safety of the structure since work is going on for over a decade now, we have engaged the CRRI for a quality check. Even the Lieutenant Governor had directed us to engage the organisation. The CRRI will submit the report in 15 days, issue a quality assurance certificate and give a tentative date for opening the flyover to the public,” said the official, requesting anonymity.

The project, which was conceived by the north Delhi civic body in 1998, has gained notoriety over the years as one of the most delayed infrastructure projects in the national Capital. But due to land acquisition issues, litigation and the dillydallying attitude of the authorities, the project has missed eight deadlines so far.

Since the project was under construction for such a long time, the local residents have also been demanding a stability test to avoid any incident. “There were some portions of flyover which were constructed long ago. It would be better if the civic agency gets a stability test done from multiple agencies or experts to avoid a collapse or cave-in,” said Z Ahmed, a resident of Azad Market.

The project incharge said the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi has already been engaged for running a quality audit. “The agency had designed the grade separator project and its representatives have been reviewing the construction work after regular intervals. They will submit a final report in the next 15 days,” said Veena Virmani, standing committee chairman, North civic body.

The North corporation also plans to repair the road which run beneath the flyover after rains. “To avoid traffic jam and mess on stretch, we have already constructed a central verge,” said another corporation official.

First Published: Sep 05, 2018 02:46 IST