The new flyover will be built as an extension of the existing Ashram flyover and will lead to the DND flyway, bypassing the narrow stretch. (Express Archive)Hanging fire for close to two years, the proposed flyover connecting Ashram flyover with the Delhi Noida Direct (DND) flyway was given clearance by the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) on Friday.
A pain point for those travelling from south Delhi to east Delhi and Noida, the bottleneck between the Ashram flyover and DND is because of the flyover leading to a narrower road before the DND flyway.
According to Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, the 1-kilometre-long flyover will come up within 15 months and will cost a little over Rs 128 crores.
The flyover was first proposed as part of a decongestion plan for the Ashram intersection, which is among the busiest in the city. In 2017, the Public Works Department forwarded the proposal to the Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning and Engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC) in 2017 and was approved the same year. No infrastructure project in Delhi is approved without a clearance from the body. The proposal was then sent to the Delhi government for approval in 2018.
“As soon as one reaches the end of the Ashram flyover, the narrow, curved road creates a choke point. The new flyover will be built as an extension of the existing Ashram flyover and will lead to the DND flyway, bypassing the narrow stretch below. Just before it joins DND flyway, one arm will diverge and lead towards Sarai Kale Khan,” Sisodia said.
According to sources, PWD is also working on opening up a U-turn under the new flyover to give residents of Kilokri village and Siddhartha Extension the option of joining Mathura Road and reach Lajpat Nagar without having to take a longer route, which is the case now.
In it’s meeting on Friday, the EFC also cleared several other projects, including the revamp of the GB Pant Engineering College. The college, which falls under the Delhi government, has been in news for its poor infrastructure.
