Traffic woes on Chirag Dilli flyover may end this month

NEW DELHI: In a big relief for commuters, the Chirag Dilli flyover is set to fully reopen by the end of this month. The ongoing repair work of expansion joints, which started on March 12, has been completed, according to PWD officials.
A department official said only finishing works, like water curing of concrete, are being carried out. “As soon as the concrete is good, we will open the flyover for commuters. We are confident of allowing traffic on the carriageway by April 26,” he added.
The flyover falls on Outer Ring Road, close to the Savitri Cinema flyover and the erstwhile BRT corridor. Used by scores of commuters daily, the route also acts as a key link for those heading towards South Extension, Andrews Ganj, AIIMS and Safdarjung Hospital.
Due to the repair work on its second carriageway, commuters going from the airport and Hauz Khas to Greater Kailash, Nehru Place, Kalkaji and Okhla have been facing traffic congestion for the past few days.
On Monday, when TOI visited the site, one lane of the carriageway was barricaded as the newly-repaired expansion joints were being cured.
Initially, when work started on the carriageway that provides a route towards IIT-D and nearby areas, both the lanes on that side were closed for traffic. Once the work was completed, repairs on the carriageway commenced.
On the suggestion of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, during the repairs of the second part of the flyover, one of the two lanes was kept open to allow traffic to move and avoid inconvenience to the public.
According to officials, the maintenance work was earlier to be completed in 50 days. However, during an inspection of the site on March 25, PWD minister Atishi directed them to speed up the work and complete it within a month.
Over time, flyovers that have been exposed to heavy traffic can often develop cracks or other flaws and may require strengthening. Based on the structural audit reports of engineers, the road repair division of PWD often takes up repair work on these flyovers. The department usually replaces the extension joints in a bid to strengthen any elevated road.