3-lane flyover to connect ITO to Ashram in the pipeline

The 545-metre-long flyover will have three lanes and two ramps. The ramp that goes up will be approximately 90 metres long and the down ramp will be 95 metres long. The PWD will also provide two U-turns and one intersection at the grade level. The stilt portion below will be approximately around 360 metres long and will have footpaths, said officials.

Officials added that it will also help decongest traffic at the Delhi-Meerut Expressway T-Junction. “Presently, vehicles coming from Akshardham, Mayur Vihar, Noida via the expressway also merge at Sarai Kale Khan bus stand and take the existing flyover towards ITO or to reach Sarai Kale ISBT, Ashram or to go to parts of Southeast Delhi. Now, the upcoming flyover will bear this load,” said the official.

Experts said the flyover, if planned well, will help decongest the area.

Sewa Ram, senior professor of transport planning at the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), said, “There are three points where vehicles merge below the road at the T-Junction — vehicles coming from ITO towards Sarai Kale Khan, from Akshardham as well as Noida via Delhi-Meerut Expressway T-junction. From here, traffic goes in different directions which creates congestion. There is a diverging point towards Barapullah flyover. Traffic either goes towards ISBT, ITO, Ashram or Barapullah. So, if the PWD addresses these issues, then the flyover will bring relief from traffic congestion and improve connectivity. Else, it will be a uni-directional flyover from ITO to Ashram.”

Citing the example of RTR flyover, he added: “The PWD first constructed a one-way flyover on RTR Marg and constructed another flyover for traffic coming from the opposite direction several years later. Commuters had faced problems during the construction of the other flyover.”

Besides building a new flyover, the department has also decided to widen the service road along the existing flyover on the ISBT side and two other service roads across the flyover on the Yamuna side.

The department will also improve the existing footpath, drainage system, landscaping, road signages, road safety fixtures etc. Tenders for construction of the new flyover have been floated and the estimated cost is Rs 57.70 crore. Officials said processing the tender will take one-two months and once the work is awarded, the flyover will be constructed in a year.