Art panel holds up ITO flyover project

After discussing the project for several months,the DUAC on Wednesday scrapped the plan,worth nearly Rs 90 crore,on the ground that there was no requirement of a flyover or a grade separator at the junction.

DUAC chairman K T Ravindran,however,refused to comment on the issue. “The matter has been discussed in today’s meeting but I cannot comment on the issue till the minutes of the meeting are approved by all commission members,” Ravindran said.

The flyover was to begin close to the Tilak Marg Bridge and end in front of the Times of India building on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg. With no right turn,the traffic heading towards Vikas Marg from Tilak Marg would have had to take a left from Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg towards Bal Bhawan and then move to Vikas Marg via Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg.

The left turn,meanwhile,would be free. The project had also planned a walkway running parallel to Tilak Marg and Ram Charan Agarwal Chowk,with one side leading to the foot overbridge (FOB) in front of the Income Tax Office.

The DUAC,however,objected to this plan,citing that commuters would have to take a longer route to reach Vikas Marg.

The flyover was to be integrated with the Delhi government’s ambitious project of an East-West corridor. The East-West corridor – linking NH-24 to Minto Road,was to cut down travel-time from East Delhi to the New Delhi Railway Station to a mere 10 to 15 minutes. The DUAC has,meanwhile,cleared only a part of the corridor.

“The BSZ flyover will end up congesting the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg. The DUAC has also told the Public Works Department that without the East-West corridor there will be no point of having this flyover,” said a senior government official.

The decision has now sent government officials into a flurry to seek possible solutions allowing them to go ahead with the project,despite DUAC’s objections.