Punjabi Bagh flyover may open by September-end

New Delhi
The Public Works Department (PWD) has decided to go ahead with the installation of the remaining spans of the under-construction Punjabi Bagh flyover by keeping the trees under the flyover intact — till permission for felling them or transplanting them is obtained — paving the way for the flyover to be opened by the second half of September, officials aware of the matter said.
A senior PWD official said that construction work is in the final phase and the last three spans (slabs connecting the support pillars) need to be installed, but due to trees below them, they were awaiting permission for the same.
“We have initiated the work on developing the first of these last three spans and trees will continue to be under the flyover span. We are targeting to complete the civil work by September 15 and flyover can be opened for traffic movement after trials by September-end,” the official, not wishing to be named, said.
The official clarified that the remaining components of the flyover, including the development of service lanes and subway, may be delayed till permission for transplanting 32 trees is granted by the forest department and the congestion on commuters moving at surface level will continue.
HT reached out to the forest department, but did not get any response to request for comment.
The incomplete flyover is one of two that are part of the West Delhi Integrated Transit Corridor Development and Street Network between Punjabi Bagh and Raja Garden flyovers. The project was launched in September 2022 and it was initially expected to be completed by December 8, 2023, but has missed multiple deadlines, with officials attributing delays to construction bans, delays in the transfer of underground utilities, high tension power lines, lack of tree felling permission and heavy traffic.
In March, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal inaugurated the first section of the flyover, i.e. the Moti Nagar flyover, a three-lane flyover parallel to the old three-lane flyover. The project also incorporates the construction of two new subways and a foot overbridge for pedestrians, strengthening RCC drains and footpaths, improvement of the existing road and installation of artwork.
PWD has spent ₹112.85 crore on the project till August 2024, according to the agency progress report. Once complete, the project will provide seamless connectivity between Dhaula Kuan in south Delhi to Azadpur in north Delhi.
The delayed construction of the flyover has turned the entire Punjabi Bagh belt of Outer Ring Road into a congestion hot spot with ripple effects felt across adjoining residential areas.
Sangita Bhatia, a resident of Moti Nagar, said residents have been suffering due to the delayed project over the last two years. “It has been two years and counting. When will the mess ever finish? Even on Sunday evening, it takes one hour to cross the Punjabi Bagh flyover belt,” she said.
Pulkit Goel, another commuter, said that opening the flyover will help reduce traffic congestion in Rajouri Garden, helping people going towards ESI Hospital, Paschim Vihar (Bhera Enclave) and Punjabi Bagh (cremation ground). “PWD can at least repair the roads which were damaged due to rain,” Goel said.
The corridor between the Punjabi Bagh flyover and Raja Garden flyover is a part of the busiest section of Ring Road, and it experiences heavy traffic load because it serves traffic from Haryana using the Rohtak Road (NH-10). The key route also connects north Delhi with south Delhi, Gurugram and other parts of the NCR. The existing road with flyovers and low-capacity intersections was not sufficient to handle the current traffic load, which led to traffic congestion issues. The construction of this corridor will shift the traffic to an elevated road, benefiting thousands of people.
“Around 125,000 vehicles pass through two flyovers every day and once the project is complete, it is estimated to lead to savings of 1.8 million litres of fuel annually and 27,000 man-hours due to reduction of congestion. The fuel saving will lead to reduction of 160,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually,” the official cited above said.
The infrastructure planning arm of the Delhi Development Authority, the Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (planning and engineering) Centre or UTTIPEC, cleared the project in December 2020. The expenditure finance committee of the Delhi government provided the financial approval for the project on May 10, 2022.