Barapullah flyover awaits opening as construction work drags on

The government had earlier announced that the flyover would be thrown open to the public on December 1. The decision was taken after Delhi Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta held a meeting with all stakeholders,including officials from the Traffic Police,Public Works Department (PWD) and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

The 4.4-km-long flyover was constructed by the PWD in 19 months. But over the last two months the MCD has been struggling to finish work related to alignment of the road ahead of the spot where the flyover lands next to the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. At the point where the flyover ends,the road narrows down — creating a potential bottleneck. The MCD was told to rectify the alignment of the road so as to widen it.

“We will finish the work in a day or two,it is more or less over,” MCD chief engineer Ravi Dass told Newsline.

However,a visit to the site revealed that the labourers are still working overtime to finish the work. “We were busy with the ongoing performance audit by various agencies. Also,we could not touch the stretch without their permission as an audit was on,” Dass added.

Meanwhile,on the Barapullah flyover,all the last-minute work has been completed,including landscaping,streetlighting and installation of signages. The Traffic Police has to put a signal at a junction where a newly constructed road by the MCD meets the ‘fourth cross road’,leading to Lodhi Colony. The signal is yet to come up.

The MCD,as part of this new road,had constructed an underpass below the railway line. The roof of the underpass is merely 2.5 metres above ground level,which means that only light motor vehicles can pass through it. The road then passes along Thyagraj Stadium,finally merging with Aurbindo Marg.

At present,with the Barapullah flyover yet to open,the entire area resembles a cricket ground with few vehicles driving past. “We did not receive a date as the Assembly session was on. We have sent the file to the Chief Minister’s office. I have been told by the MCD that they have completed all the work,” said Mehta.

The Barapullah Corridor has been constructed by Gurgaon-based DSC Private Limited at a cost of Rs 500 crore.

Another Rs 50 crore is being spent for connecting it with Lal Lajpat Rai Marg. According to the PWD,the connecting roads would be ready only by March.