The 1.36-km-long tunnel will have six lanes, with a three-lane carriageway on both sides. It connects Ring Road with India Gate via Purana Qila Road passing through Pragati Maidan. (Amit Mehra)Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the much-awaited tunnel and six underpasses that are part of the Pragati Maidan Integrated Transit Corridor project at 10.30 am on Sunday, said officials. It is expected to ease traffic for 1 lakh commuters.
The corridor has been built at a cost of more than Rs 920 crore and is funded entirely by the central government, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement. It is aimed at providing hassle-free and smooth access to the new world-class exhibition and convention centre being developed at Pragati Maidan, thereby facilitating easy participation of exhibitors and visitors in the programmes being held at Pragati Maidan, it said.
The 1.36-km-long tunnel will have six lanes, with a three-lane carriageway on both sides. It connects Ring Road with India Gate via Purana Qila Road passing through Pragati Maidan. It will also provide direct connectivity to the huge basement parking of Pragati Maidan.
It is expected to provide a hassle-free commute for people travelling between East, Southeast and Central Delhi. Officials said that it will de-congest the road at Pragati Maidan, ITO junction, India Gate and the Supreme Court.
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Officials closely associated with the project said the tunnel will have two control rooms at the entry and exit to monitor traffic through CCTVs. An 80-metre-long, five-metre wide emergency lane has also been constructed on the underground stretch to tow away any vehicle that breaks down.
The six underpasses, of which five are on the Mathura Road, will create a signal-free stretch between Pragati Maidan and Sunder Nursery. The sixth underpass on the Ring Road will go beneath the railway line and connect to Bhairon Marg.
The underpasses will ease the commute on Mathura Road from Pragati Maidan to Ashram, Nizamuddin, Sarai Kale Khan, Central and Southeast Delhi and Badarpur.
According to officials, work on the tunnel and underpasses started in 2017. It was estimated to be ready by 2019 but the project was delayed due to the pandemic and ban on construction activities.
Officials said murals showcasing Indian culture, birds and six seasons in different parts of the country from Kashmir to Kanyakumari will adorn the tunnel.
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