Broken divider removed, U-turn closed: Work begins to repair new RTR flyover
A spot check by The Indian Express on February 6 had found that while the initial commute was smooth, at least five potholes on the descent slowed down vehicular movement and caused traffic snarls.
(Left) the broken divider on the stretch; (Right) PWD officials demolished the divider and closed off the U-turn. (Tashi Tobgyal/Express) The Delhi government’s Public Works Department (PWD) has demolished a broken divider on the New Rao Tula Ram Marg (RTR) stretch and closed a narrow U-turn following months of traffic snarls at the mouth of the flyover as well as occasional accidents. It has also begun repairs on potholes on the stretch.
A spot check by The Indian Express on February 6 had found that while the initial commute was smooth, at least five potholes on the descent slowed down vehicular movement and caused traffic snarls. A part of the divider on the stretch was also broken, with small stones and bricks lying on the road. Moreover, the U-turn around 100 metres after the flyover to head to Shankar Vihar and nearby residential colonies like Vasant Vihar and Subroto Park had turned into a choke point.
“We received several complaints from commuters about potholes and the U-turn, which creates a bottleneck where the stretch ends. The traffic police had also raised this issue several times. Tenders were issued for the work, but it was delayed due to various reasons — Covid restrictions, construction ban, and laxity by the contractor. We have started it now and shifted the U-turn,” said a senior PWD official.
The official added, “Currently, the broken concrete divider has been removed and the U-turn has been closed. Work is on to fill the potholes and re-lay the bituminous road. The road will be repaired in the next 30 days. By April-end, commuters will have a smooth ride without any bumps or traffic snarls.”
Another official, on condition of anonymity, said work was started days after The Indian Express report: “After the issue was highlighted, senior officials from the department and government directed officials concerned to expedite work.”
The 2.7-km-long flyover, branching off the Munirka flyover and ending before the Army Hospital Research and Referral near Subroto Park on the Outer Ring Road, was inaugurated in 2019 to make the commute from South Delhi to Indira Gandhi International Airport easier.
As per officials, the U-turn was initially not in the plan and designed later to provide a route to people living in surrounding areas like Shankar Vihar and Vasant Enclave to reach Munirka, Subroto Park and other areas of South Delhi.
Commuters too had complained that the U-turn was unnecessary and led to accidents. According to the traffic police, one-two road accidents on the stretch are reported in a month and 12-15 in a year. Police said around 18 accidents took place on this stretch in 2021, of which four proved to be fatal.
“We were advised by the traffic police to shift the U-turn; this has been done and other work is going on. If they ask us to create a U-turn at another location on this stretch, it can be done. Now, commuters will have to take the U-turn below the Delhi-Jaipur flyover a kilometre away,” said PWD officials.
A senior traffic police officer said, “It was a long-pending issue. The new RTR stretch has eased the traffic load from the Outer Ring road, but the U-turn slowed vehicular movement. We had raised this issue in several meetings with the PWD. Now, traffic will be smooth once work is complete.”
Commuters, meanwhile, welcomed the move. “The divider was a nightmare; it was hard to spot at night, due to which vehicles ended up hitting it. The department should now complete work without delays,” said Javadh Singh, who commutes via the stretch every day.
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