Second carriageway of Ashram underpass opens for commuters in Delhi

Delhi's Public Works Department on Wednesday began a trial run of the second carriageway from Nizamuddin to Badarpur of the much-awaited Ashram underpass on Mathura road, officials said.

With the opening of both carriageways, traffic flow at the Ashram intersection remained smooth on Wednesday, the PWD officials said.

The trial run of the facility will continue till the underpass is formally inaugurated, which is expected by the end of this month, they added.

We have opened the second carriageway today (Wednesday) morning. Now both the carriageways of the underpass are open for commuters and as a result there was no traffic congestion in the area during peak hours, a senior PWD official told PTI.

He said the facility is likely to be formally dedicated to the public after its inauguration by the end of this month.

The underpass is likely to be opened after the Budget Session of the Delhi Assembly, the official said.

The Assembly is in the session till March 29.

The trail run of the 750-metre along Ashram underpass was started on Tuesday but only one carriageway, which goes towards Nizamuddin from Badarpur side, was opened for motorists.

The second carriageway, which goes towards Badarpur from Nizamuddin side, could not be opened on Tuesday due to some pending finishing work. This had also led to congestion in the area on Tuesday.

Ashram intersection is an important link between central and south Delhi and also with Faridabad. The junction connects the Mathura Road and the Ring Road (linking Lajpat Nagar-Sarai Kale Khan and the DND flyover).

According to data provided by the traffic police, around 2.5 lakh to 3 lakh vehicles cross the Ashram intersection every day during peak traffic hours.

Once the underpass is formally opened for traffic, it would benefit commuters and ease their travel towards Sarita Vihar, Badarpur and Faridabad from ITO and vice versa.

On Wednesday, commuters crossing the intersection were in for a pleasant surprise as they experienced smooth ride through the underpass.

"Everyday I used to get stuck here at least for about 20-25 minutes while on my way to work near ITO. But today it was a smooth drive as I crossed the stretch in no time. I just hope the facility is inaugurated soon, Shivam Soni, a resident of Friends Colony in south Delhi, said.

PWD officials said that currently the facility is open for trial between 7 am and 10 pm.

The underpass connects Nizamuddin rail bridge and CSIR Apartments on Mathura road. The foundation stone of the underpass was laid by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on December 24, 2019 and it was to be completed in a year's time.

However, PWD officials said the deadline was first extended to March 2021, further pushed to June 30, 2021 and then to September 2021. It was again extended to December 2021 and then to March 2022.