Public Works Department pitches new plan for Rao Tula Marg

The plan, presented to the Delhi High Court bench of Justice Badar Durrez Ahmed and Justice Siddharth Mridul on Tuesday by PWD and RITES, includes a parallel three-lane flyover to the RTR, an underpass and right turn opening at Benito Juárez Marg. Also included is an extensive tunnel from Shiv Murti near Westend apartments on NH8. The tunnel will go under NH8 and join a new road starting from Ryan International School on the Vasant Kunj-Mahipalpur road. The flyover and underpass projects, according to PWD counsel Ferida Satarawala, will be constructed “simultaneously”, while the the Mahipalpur bypass, which will allow movement of traffic from Nelson Mandela Marg to the Delhi-
Gurgaon border, will be handled as a separate project.

Residents’ welfare associations from Vasant Vihar and Vasant Enclave had approached the Delhi High Court against the PWD’s decision to build a three-lane flyover parallel to RTR flyover, and demanded that the existing flyover be demolished.

“The first flyover was totally wrong, it was a misadventure,” the court said during the hearing on Tuesday. It, however, noted that since the UTTIPEC (Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning and Engineering) Centre) — comprising experts from all civic and landowning agencies — had approved the project, the court would not interfere.

“If UTTIPEC, who are experts, say that everything has been considered, then we will have to accept it,” the court said. It, however, granted time to the petitioners — residents of the affected area — to see the proposal and give their comments.

“UTTIPEC had given in principle approval to the portal flyover project between IIT gate and NH8 and the underpass at the Benito Juarez Marg in April 2013. The third stage approvals to the project were granted by the governing body of the UTTIPEC in June,” advocates Ferida Satarawala and Rajiv Bansal, who represent PWD and UTTIPEC, told the court.

The counsel also told the court that the RWAs had been consulted while finalising the flyover, and that the tender for the portal flyover and the BJ Marg underpass had been issued. The Mahipalpur bypass is yet to get all approvals.

The court also asked the PWD to consider how much private residential property will need to be acquired for the project and whether the water table in the area will be affected by the tunnel project.

“This plan is still on the drawing board. It doesn’t inspire confidence that it will get done anytime soon,” the court said after the PWD admitted that the tunnel project was an “extra” proposal in the pipeline.

Hindustan Construction lowest bidder for new flyover

Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) has qualified as the lowest bidder for the construction of the three-lane flyover planned parallel to Rao Tula Ram Marg flyover on Outer Ring Road. The tender has been submitted to the Works Advisory Board to be approved by the Public Works Department secretary.

PWD officials said the tender was submitted two days ago, and once approved, the contract will be awarded to the HCC, which has handled projects such as the Bombay Sea Link and Badarpur elevated road.

The proposal to construct the three-lane flyover at the RTR Marg parallel to the existing flyover, was approved after extensive consultations with all stakeholders including resident welfare association of Vasant Vihar which had opposed the three-lane flyover.

ENS