11-year wait to end soon,work to begin on Kalindi Kunj bypass

Bypass expected to reduce travel time between Delhi and Faridabad,decongest Ashram Chowk.

The Kalindi Kunj bypass project,which is expected to reduce travel time between Delhi and Faridabad and decongest Ashram Chowk,may finally take off after its conception in 2002,with three proposed alignments having been submitted by Public Works Department to Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (planning and engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC) for clearance.

Our consultant had submitted a feasibility report on the Kalindi Kunj bypass,giving three proposed alignment possibilities for the project. We have submitted the same to UTTIPEC a week back. We expect them to finalise the best alignment for the bypass, a PWD official said.

Land acquisition issues concerning the Uttar Pradesh government had earlier led to discontinuation of work by PWD in 2007,after an expenditure of Rs 52 crore. This bypass is expected to begin at Ring Road near DND flyover and end near Badarpur Border,according to the feasibility report.

Story continues below this ad

According to PWD,the advantages and disadvantages of each of the alignments will have to be assessed before narrowing down on one option. The starting point will be Ring Road near DND flyover,with it terminating near Badarpur Border. The report says the total length of each alignment,the length of elevated structures,land acquisition required in each case besides giving other details, a PWD official said.

For instance,in alignment-1,the Jasola bird sanctuary is coming in the way and the affected colonies will be Abul Fazal,Shaheen Bagh etc,while in alignment-2,the disruption is minimal. In alignment-3 too,Holy Family Hospital and colonies like New Friends Colony,Zakir Nagar and Haji Colony will be affected.

Kalindi Kunj bypass will not only provide additional connectivity between Delhi and Faridabad but will also decongest NH-2 besides helping in easing congestion at Ashram junction, the official said.

Around 30 boundary pillars have already been built near DND to mark the site of the bypass project. The government had earlier sanctioned nearly Rs 100 crore to construct the 14-km stretch of the bypass that falls in Delhi. The remaining 13 km in Haryana has already been constructed.

Story continues below this ad

Construction on the 6.5-km bypass from Kalindi Kunj Colony Ring Road to Kalindi Kunj Road was approved in March 2003 at a cost of Rs 63.41 crore. The project was to start on May 15,2003,and to be completed by May 14,2005. However,the UP government refused to part with its land.

In June 2006,the Delhi High Court passed an order prohibiting road construction within 300 metres from the edge of the river. Later that year,the court modified the order,allowing a road to be built 120 m away from the river. But the UP government refused to give away land in and around the bird sanctuary and sand mound near the Yamuna,bringing the project to a halt in 2007.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram