Commuters can breathe a sigh of relief as the Ashram flyover is scheduled to be opened on Monday, offering a major respite.
In a press conference, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that the inauguration ceremony would take place on 06 March. He clarified that the delay was not caused by the arrest of Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia but due to some work-related issues.
According to officials, the flyover was supposed to be inaugurated by Kejriwal and Sisodia on 28 February.
Constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 128 crore, this six-lane flyover will provide a signal-free route till Noida to the commuters passing from the busy Ashram intersection.
The flyover will cut down the travel time between Delhi and Noida by 25 minutes and eliminate traffic signals, making commuting smoother.
The plan to decongest three main intersections – Maharani Bagh intersection, Ring Road-DND junction and Ring Road loop towards Sarai Kale Khan – was passed by the apex infrastructure body, UTTIPEC, in 2017.
The project stretch from the Ashram flyover to DND Flyway is part of Ring Road, a signal-free arterial road.
The extension work began in 2020 with a projected completion date of one year. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown caused a shortage of workers, leading to initial delays, and the deadline was eventually pushed further. While the government had previously aimed to finish the project by November 2022, the PWD was unable to meet this deadline.
For connecting the elevated stretch to the existing flyover, the Public Works Department (PWD) had closed the flyover, which sees around 3 lakh vehicles pass through it per day, for about 45 days on 02 January this year.
