Shut for two months, Ashram flyover opens today

While the PWD said the 1.4-km extension of the existing Ashram flyover is set to open at 12 pm, the Delhi Traffic Police issued an advisory and said the Ashram flyover will reopen for commuters from 5 pm.

As per the advisory, only light vehicles will be allowed to use the Ashram flyover for now. Heavy vehicles, like buses and trucks, are not allowed on both carriageways till further notice.

It advised commuters using the Barapullah flyover to use the Ashram one to go towards DND, Gurgaon, Chirag Dilli, Kalkaji, Khanpur, Greater Kailash, Saket, AIIMS, INA and Safdarjung.

Further, commuters coming from Sarai Kale Khan are also advised not to use the Ashram flyover.

Here’s the routemap of the new Ashram flyover. Express Graphics

Once it is inaugurated, it will decongest three major intersections — Maharani Bagh, DND, Ring Road point going towards Sarai Kale Khan. The section is expected to cut travel time between Delhi Noida, central and Southern parts of the city by 25 minutes.

Earlier, the flyover was to be inaugurated on February 28 but was ostensibly delayed following the arrest of former Deputy CM and PWD minister Manish Sisodia. However, at a recent present conference, Kejriwal said the inauguration will take place on March 6 and said the delay was not due to the arrest of Sisodia but because some minor work was left.

Work on extending the flyover to the DND flyway has been going on for the past year. The PWD closed the flyover, which sees around 3 lakh vehicles pass through it per day, on January 2. Officials had said work was delayed due to rain among other things. Earlier this month, Sisodia, during an on-site inspection of the stretch, had said the flyover will be ready by February-end.

The Ashram flyover is one of the busiest sections in the city as Mathura Road and DND flyway connect to it. The stretch is expected to benefit 13,500 vehicles at peak hours and will improve connectivity towards Noida, ITO, Sarai Kale Khan, East Delhi areas like Mayur Vihar, parts of Southeast and South Delhi like Lajpat Nagar, Moolchand, South Extension and AIIMS.