Even as work on Phase-III of the Barapullah Elevated Corridor is yet to begin, the Public Works Department is in the process of engaging a consultant to carry out a feasibility study for Phase IV that will now stretch to Dhaula Kuan and the Delhi Airport.
While Lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung has directed the PWD to begin planning Phase-IV expansions, the stretch may even include certain underground sections, said PWD Chief Engineer Sarvagya Srivastava. “Since land is not available in some places, we are considering the option of going underground in an otherwise mostly elevated section,” he said. The extensions have been planned to provide relief to the Ring Road as presently traffic converges in this stretch near AIIMS.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will on Tuesday lay the foundation stone for Phase-III of constructions that will see the corridor extend from Sarai Kale Khan to Mayur Vihar. The Barapullah elevated corridor connects Sarai Kale Khan and the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Phase-II extends it till INA Market and Phase-III will connect it all the way to Mayur Vihar. According to officials, the idea is to shrink travel time from East Delhi to the rest of Delhi.
The plans to extend the corridor till Mayur Vihar will cost Rs.1,260 crore which will see the construction of a four-lane carriageway with cycle tracks and footpaths. “The entire construction will be on stilts and the distance between piers will be three times as much as the distance between piers in any existing bridge in Delhi,” said Mr. Srivastava. The design is expected to enable future riverfront development and will be aesthetically appealing.
According to Delhi Government estimates, 1,50,000 passenger care units (PCU) daily are expected to use the stretch from Sarai Kale Khan to Mayur Vihar. “This will vastly reduce congestion on Nizamuddin Bridge and Ashram Chowk and will bring down travel time between Mayur Vihar and AIIMS to 10 minutes,” he said. “Rs.500 crore is expected to be saved each year in fuel costs, reduction in carbon dioxide emissions and man hours,” said Mr. Srivastava.
The Phase-III of the Barapullah Elevated Corridor is expected to be operational by January 2018.
