Six-lane flyover inaugurated in Delhi

A six-lane flyover at Mukundpur Chowk on Outer Ring Road, which is expected to ease traffic flow on National Highway-I in north Delhi, was inaugurated on Friday.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Public Works Department Minister Satyendar Jain inaugurated the 900-metre flyover, whose construction cost was Rs 12 crore less than its sanctioned cost of Rs 62 crore.

The highway connects Delhi with Chandigarh and Punjab through Haryana and records a huge traffic flow comprising inter-state public and commercial transport vehicles. The area records an average of more than 1.75 lakh vehicles per day.

"Opening of the flyover will be a big relief to the people who suffered traffic jams earlier here," Sisodia said at the inaugural ceremony.

"We want to give people a life of ease and dignity. I have been informed that we saved Rs 12 crore in the flyover's construction," he added.

Sisodia asked PWD officials to construct a nine-km cycle track under the flyover to provide easy commuting to cyclists.

"We will provide funds for putting up solar panels on this track from the saved money. It will not only provide shade to cyclists but also use renewable solar energy for lighting up streets," he said.

The flyover, whose construction began in November 2013, is part of the Delhi government's 24-km signal-free corridor project between Vikaspuri in west Delhi and Wazirabad in north Delhi in four parts -- Vikaspuri to Meera Bagh, Mangolpuri to Madhuban Chowk, Madhuban Chowk to Mukarba Chowk and Mukarba Chowk to Wazirabad.

The corridor has three elevated stretches of Vikaspuri-Meera Bagh, Mangolpuri-Madhuban Chowk and Madhuban Chowk-Mukarba Chowk, which are now open to public, and three flyovers.

After completion of the signal-free corridor, the time required to cover the 24-km stretch from Vikaspuri to Wazirabad will be reduced to 25 minutes from 1.5 hours at present.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had earlier said that his government had saved over Rs 350 crore in building five flyovers across the national capital since the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) took charge in February 2015.

--IANS

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