PWD studies feasibility of 3 new underpasses on Delhi’s Outer Ring Road

The public works department (PWD) has floated the idea of developing three underpasses at congested intersections in south Delhi along the Outer Ring Road in an attempt to clear the critical corridor that has been the flashpoint of traffic chaos in recent weeks.

The Delhi government’s infrastructure arm will undertake what is known as a “feasibility study” to construct underpasses at three locations on the Outer Ring Road – IIT flyover (intersection of Aurobindo Marg); Khel Gaon flyover (intersecting August Kranti Marg); and Chirag Delhi (intersecting Josip Broz Tito Marg) – according to senior PWD officials familiar with the development.

A senior PWD official said that the feasibility report is followed by preparation of a detailed project report. “After seeking initial approvals from government, the idea is put in the meeting of Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure Planning and Engineering Centre where feedback will be taken from all agencies such as DDA, DMRC, traffic police. After incorporating all suggestions and modifications and clearance of LG headed UTTIPEC, financial and administrative sanction is sought from government. The nod from cabinet is followed by tenders being called a firm being hired to execute the project. The time depends on urgency and will shown by various stakeholders but it may take at least 2to 3 years to reach the tendering stage in the best case scenario” official added.Officials said PWD has invited bids to hire consultancy services for the development of underpasses at these intersections. “Once a consultant is finalised, a 30-day period will be provided for completion of the study at all three locations. All three sites have DMRC underground tunnels running under the junction, so the consultant will have carefully check and propose the possible alignments for underpasses that are not in conflict with these tunnels and station area,” the official cited above said.

Outer Ring Road – a critical lifeline that connects majority of south Delhi to the satellite towns of Gurugram, Faridabad and Noida – has been at the receiving end of a nearly endless spate of traffic chaos in recent weeks due to repair work on the Chirag Delhi flyover on one end, and construction work on NH48 on the other. This has led to hours-long jams along the corridor over the past two weeks, and experts say these conditions are expected to continue till early May.

The feasibility study for the underpasses will also assess the traffic volume over 24 hours period and weekly cycle and the extent of relief these underpasses would theoretically provide in terms of economic and environmental costs. According to the previous traffic police estimates, this section of the Outer Ring Road sees the movement of around 300,000 to 325,000 vehicles every day. All three intersections already have flyovers on the ORR sections and the three underpasses will come in perpendicular directions.“All three intersections have similar problems as Mathur road Ashram underpass case,” PWD official said.

Dr S Velmurugan, chief scientist and head, traffic engineering and safety division, Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) said that while it is a good idea to come up with underpasses to relieve the stress on the intersections, but they may just transfer the jams onto the next junction on the 47km-long road.

“Already one arm of these intersections has flyovers and the second arm getting underpasses will facilitate the through traffic, but there is every chance that the commuters will be stuck at the next junction. In case of Aurobindo Marg, the traffic will funnel at Yusuf Sarai market. The Khel Gaon intersection roads are much narrower with four-lanes so the bottleneck will be much more immediate. The entire corridor should be developed and re-designed,” Velmurugan said, adding that the impact of Ashram underpass has been marginal due to poor management nearby junction.

“The south Delhi section intersections are constantly witnessing traffic jams as the vehicle bearing capacity of Outer Ring Road appears to have been exhausted,” the official said.