Wait over 2.5-acre plot pushesback delayed Barapullah Phase-3

The long delayed third phase of the Barapullah elevated road project that will connect Mayur Vihar with Sarai Kale Khan across the Yamuna river is still facing hurdles as the Public Works Department does not yet have possession of a required 2.5 acres of land, officials said.

“A large chunk of around 6 acres of land has been provided to us (by the revenue department) but the completion of project will depend on handing over of the last remaining land patch of around 2.5 acres. This last missing patch will accommodate around five pillars of the bridge,” an official said, seeking anonymity.

The construction of the 3.5km stretch of the Barapullah elevated road began in April 2015 and was slated to finish by October 2017. It is expected to improve connectivity between east, south and central Delhi and decongest the Nizamuddin bridge, Bhairon Marg and Ashram Chowk on Ring Road, cutting travel time between east and south Delhi to about 20 minutes.

The project has been delayed due to missing patches of around 8.5 acres of land under private ownership needed to build 790 metres of the elevated corridor in two links of 500 and 290 metres. The two land parcels were owned by farmers of Nagli Razapur village.

Last week, lieutenant governor VK Saxena oversaw the handing over ceremony of 6 acres. “We are hopeful the last remaining patch of 2.5 acres will be provided in next couple of months,” another official associated with the project said, declining to be named. “We have initiated the construction work on the handed over land parcel but the project is still expected to take at least 1.5 years.”

Since the area is located on the Yamuna floodplains, the foundation under the piers will have to be allowed to settle down for around six months. “Entire load of the bridge structure and vehicles will come on these foundations so we need to provide ample settling down process for construction work on top of it,” the official said.

Road laying and other related work on the already built structure can be carried out during this period he added. The project is expected to cost 1,068 crore.

The Master Plan of Delhi 2021 had proposed to construct a bridge on the Yamuna downstream of Nizamuddin bridge. The third phase of the Barapullah project was cleared in September 2013.

“The construction on the project site was initiated on April 18, 2015, and initial deadline was October 17, 2017,” the official said. More than five years past the completion deadline, the project remains a work in progress.