PWD to rebuild damaged bridge at Defence Colony in Delhi

The state Public Works Department (PWD) will demolish and rebuild a bridge over a drain in Defence Colony in south Delhi, six months after a portion of the structure was damaged in October, officials said on Sunday.

A section of the bridge on Ratan Lal Sahdev Marg had caved in under the weight of a truck loaded with construction waste. A section of the bridge has been shut since then. Concrete barriers have been placed on the entrance of the bridge to prevent people from using it and preventing four wheelers only allowing two wheelers and pedestrians to pass through it.

Officials said the project will take around 11 months and cost roughly ₹7.2 crore.

“Instead of simply repairing the damaged section of the bridge, we have decided to build a new bridge over the drain, for which bids have been invited,” said a senior PWD official who asked not to be named.

Ratan Lal Sahdev Marg is one of Defence Colony’s key access roads, linking Kotla Mubarakpur on one end and the Defence Colony flyover towards the other end, and traffic snarls on this stretch often spill over to other parts of the locality. Residents have long complained that the damaged structure also poses a safety hazard for commuters and children.

Though the new bridge would help the locality in long run, the project will lead to long detours for commuters, and increased congestion on other roads of the colony.

The PWD project report states that the existing bridge is in a “dilapidated condition” and will be demolished, with a new bridge with single spans and two piers to come up in its place.

“The existing piers and the foundation of the bridge will have to be dismantled up to invert level of drain and it may require temporary diversions in drain,” the official said.

“The new bridge will also incorporate crash barriers and PWD will construct approach roads on both sides of the bridge, stone pitching of the drain section and footpath in its vicinity,” the official added.

During a spot check on Thursday, HT found that access to the damaged bridge was cut off with concrete barriers. However, two-wheelers and pedestrians continued to enter the bridge through gaps in the barricades.

“We have been petitioning the authorities to get the bridge repaired. If the work starts on ground, it will provide relief to a large section of this neighbourhood,” Veena Khanna, president of the Defence Colony Residents’ Welfare Association, said.

Maj (retd) Ranjeet Singh, former president of the RWA, said restrictions on the use of the bridge have worsened traffic in the neighbourhood. “This has caused congestion in the area for several months. Vehicles first approach this area, then take a U-turn, creating bottlenecks near the colony gate,” he said.