New Delhi: As part of the Pragati Maidan
redevelopment plan, two access routes- one from Ring Road and another from Mathura Road-will be constructed, which will lead motorists directly to an
underground parking lot.
L C Goyal, chairman and managing director of
Indian Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), said that improvement in access to
Pragati Maidan was not part of the original plans though it was felt that once the
exhibition ground got a facelift and traffic to the area increased, it would help to have two exclusive routes to the venue without disturbing traffic on the main roads.
"The vendor who will be given the tender to revamp Pragati Maidan will also construct these routes. These may be elevated routes or underpasses. One route will start at the Ring Road, near the railway line behind Pragati Maidan and will lead directly to the underground parking. There will be another route from
Mathura Road that will also lead to the parking lot," Goyal said.
He said two parking facilities would be created-one underground and another surface parking. "The underground one can accommodate 4,800 cars while the surface parking will be for VIP cars. The cost of the project will be Rs 78 crore. Permissions will be taken from the road owning agency, whereever necessary," said Goyal.
A multi-grade separator will also come up at the Mathura Road and Bhairon Road intersection at a cost of Rs 75 crore. This is one area where approval needs to be taken from the Delhi government and hence is not being linked to the main project, said an official. An access will be built from here to the parking lot at a cost of Rs 26 crore and a direct connection between Ring Road and the basement parking for Rs 52 crore.
"There is no provision for parking at Pragati Maidan due to which
traffic jams become unavoidable when a big event is held here. Once these routes are created, the traffic heading for Pragati Maidan will bypass Mathura Road traffic and there will be no vehicles parked on the main road creating a hindrance," said a source.
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