A tunnel to ease congestion on Race Course Road

Tunnel from Safdarjung-Aurangzeb Road junction to Shantipath will cater mainly to airport-bound traffic.

The proposed tunnel will allow motorists avoid Race Course Road. (Source: Express Archive)

To ease congestion on Race Course Road (RCR) with traffic moving from Lutyens’ Delhi to the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), the Public Works Department plans to construct a tunnel from the Safdarjung Road-Aurangzeb Road junction to Shantipath. Officials believe this will not only save travel time, but also make access from Lutyens’ Delhi to the airport easier.

“The department is considering submitting the proposal toUTTIPEC for the appointment of a consultant. The exact entry and exit points of the tunnel will be discussed and finalised once the feasibility study is conducted,” Sarvagya Srivastava, chief engineer (flyovers), said.

According to PWD officials, the tunnel is expected to be 1.5-km long and will have three lanes on each side. “The tunnel will allow only Light Motor Vehicles (LMV) and buses. No commercial vehicles will be allowed. The height will be approximately 5.5 metres,” a PWD official said.

Story continues below this ad

The plan was conceptualised in September after it was noticed that the traffic congestion on RCR would increase during traffic movement from Lutyens’ Delhi to the airport. Beginning this month, the department has prepared the terms of reference to be submitted to UTTIPEC, or Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning & Engineering) Centre.

“Most of the traffic moving from the northern side of Rajpath towards IGIA can commute via Moti Bagh and around. However, to the south of Rajpath, the traffic usually takes the RCR. Normally, those coming from Central Delhi use either Akbar Road or Aurangzeb Road to reach RCR and move ahead towards IGIA. This, most of the time, leads to traffic congestion along RCR. Not only this, if there is VIP movement in the area, RCR is blocked, which makes it even more time-consuming. If the tunnel is constructed, those coming via Akbar Road will simply have to take the tunnel. Those coming via Safdarjung Road or Aurangzeb Road will simply have to reach the junction and this way, RCR may be avoided,” a PWD official said.

Officials said one of the advantages they have in terms of constructing the tunnel is that the area around it is not built-up area, making the idea more feasible.

When asked about the security concerns in the area as it is a VIP zone, a PWD official said the requisite permissions will be sought.

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