Work on city’s Ranjit Singh flyover to wrap up by April
The 300-metre stretch starts from Barakhamba Road and connects Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg with Delhi Gate, Zakir Hussain College and Turkman Gate. The flyover was constructed in 1982, during the Asian Games.
(Representative image) Commuters who face bumpy roads and potholes on the Ranjit Singh flyover at Barakhamba Road will have a smoother ride once the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) wraps up strengthening and rehabilitation work on the stretch. At the moment, one side of the flyover is closed off for repairs, leading to traffic snarls on the other. Officials however say work will be finished by April.
The 300-metre stretch starts from Barakhamba Road and connects Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg with Delhi Gate, Zakir Hussain College and Turkman Gate. The flyover was constructed in 1982, during the Asian Games.
Under the current revamp, expansion joints and pillars are being redeveloped. The bearings, damaged crash barriers and railings will be replaced to make the road surface even and to remove bumps that can damage vehicles and pose a threat to commuters.
The railings on both sides will be replaced and sound barriers, which are in a poor condition, will be re-installed. The entire top surface of the road will be dismantled and re-laid for smooth flow of traffic, said officials.
Said an NDMC official working on the project: “It is compulsory to rehabilitate the structure of flyovers every 15 years to strengthen the expansion joints and pillars, fix uneven road surface and repair and fill potholes. The renovation was a long-pending demand of users of this stretch. Following these complaints, NDMC consulted the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) and with its design and the recommendations, work was started last year but it got delayed due to several reasons.”
The rehabilitation work was started at the beginning of 2021 but got delayed due to second Covid wave. Officials also cited the farmers’ protest, saying they planned to take out their march from this stretch to reach Jantar Mantar. “There is no accident issue on this stretch but we received several complaints from motorists, especially those using two-wheelers, of uneven roads, potholes and cracks. These also weaken the life of vehicles and pose a threat of accidents. Work is now in full speed and by April this year, commuters will have a smooth ride,” said the official.
Once the flyover expansion is completed, the agency will start working on laying the road surface to remove potholes, breaks and cracks. “The stretch will be revamped by April and the riding quality will improve once the work is complete. Hundreds of office-goers and motorcyclists who use this road will have a smooth ride. The estimated cost of this redevelopment work is around Rs 4 crore,” said the official.
Share
