Ninth time lucky: Underpass at Ashram crossing open for traffic
The foundation stone for the underpass was laid down by the chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on December 24, 2019 and it was initially expected to be completed by December 2020.
Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Sunday opened the four-lane, 750 metres long underpass at the Ashram Chowk, three years after work began on the project during which it missed eight deadlines.
The underpass is expected to ease traffic snarls at Delhi’s busiest traffic intersection that carries a massive load of 350,000 vehicles daily.
Sisodia, who took over the charge of Public Works Department (PWD) portfolio in February this year, formally inaugurated the underpass, and said, “This underpass is an example of engineering excellence. Access to this underpass will not only save the time of the commuters but will also protect the environment. By using the underpass, every day 1,536 litres of diesel or petrol will be saved and 3.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced in the area.”
The 750-metre-long underpass, work on which began in December 2019, is one of the most delayed infrastructure projects in the city having missed eight deadlines, leading to persistent jams at one of the city’s most critical and traffic intensive stretches. The underpass is aimed at providing a signal-free ride between Nizamuddin and Badarpur on Mathura Road at Ashram intersection.
The foundation stone for the underpass was laid down by the chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on December 24, 2019 and it was initially expected to be completed by December 2020.
The Ashram Chowk serves as a gateway to Delhi for the NCR cities of Noida and Faridabad. Apart from protracted work, poor site management, lack of traffic management measures , and simultaneous construction of the flyover extension have ensured that the crossing remains a nightmare for the commuter.
Senior government officials associated with the project said that measures have been put in place to ensure the underpass is not flooded during monsoon. They said the ramps of the underpass have been properly covered and a 40 meter box portion --- road hump design ---- has been followed at the approach road to prevent rainwater from entering the underpass. Additionally, two ground water tanks, each with a capacity of 150,000 litres, have been created beneath the underpass to collect extra water during monsoon, they added.
Sisodia said it was a tough task for engineers to construct an underpass in a high volume traffic area which also involved shifting of various utilities. “Also, no shops or residential areas in the vicinity of the underpass were affected during the construction of this underpass,” Sisodia said.
The deputy chief minister said that the Kejriwal government is determined to provide hassle free commute and beautiful roads to the residents of the city. “This underpass has been built after clearing several hurdles, and now it will provide a major relief to 350,000 commuters of Delhi everyday, and provide smooth traffic flow in adjoining areas as well. The underpass has been built at the cost of ₹77.92 crores. This underpass is an example of the fact that the issue of pollution can be tackled by increasing the capacity of the roads,” Sisodia said.
AAP MLAs Atishi from Kalkaji and Praveen Kumar from Jangpura were also present on the occasion.
The underpass is expected to ease congestion at the main Ashram intersection towards Faridabad and Nizamuddin. However, the commuters going towards Sarai Kale Khan and Noida through DND would still be facing trouble since the construction work on the extension of the Ashram flyover is still on. The flyover is aimed at providing signal free connectivity to the traffic coming from Lajpat Nagar and moving towards east Delhi and Noida. The flyover is being extended up to DND Flyway with ramps towards Sarai Kale Khan. On March 7, Sisodia said that the flyover will be completed by August.
The Ashram underpass was first opened for traffic trials on March 22 this year without a formal inauguration. The underpass was then closed again to complete pending ramp cover work between March 30 and April 2, with traffic allowed only during peak hours.
Harsh Mishra, a software engineer who works in Connaught Place, said: “The travel time from his home in Faridabad to office has significantly reduced, but they have been opening it off and on. Now, that it has been permanently opened, it will protect me from a lot of commuting stress.”
Ankit Tyagi, a sales professional who has to travel every day from Badarpur to ITO, said Ashram Chowk has been a perennial pain point. “I am sure that the underpass will help ease congestion and save a lot of time for commuters. I hope to have a smooth commute through the roundabout will be smooth,” said Tyagi.
Vivek Mehta, a business who runs an apparel shop in Connaught Place and lives in Noida, said the opening of the Ashram underpass will be helpful for people like him, but added but since the work on the extension of Ashram flyover is still going on some congestion will stay.
A PWD official, who asked not to be named, said the department faced many obstacles in completion of the project including the shifting of utilities and the Covid -19 lockdown. “Due to these challenges the work was slightly delayed but we have managed to finish it,” said the PWD official.
S Velmurugan, chief scientist, Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), said PWD should focus on planning and executing infrastructure projects in a way that they are finished on time since any delay causes more traffic jams, defeating the entire purpose of the project. He also suggested that measures should be taken for making the stretch safe for pedestrians.
“Table top crossing need to be brought back which were present before the work on the underpass began. The agency should ensure that road markings are made at 9 metres distance and signages are installed. A lot still needs to be done to improve the Ashram crossing,” he said.
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