New Delhi: The much-delayed Rao Tula Ram Marg flyover, part of a key arterial route in Delhi, has missed yet another deadline — its seventh since the project was conceived in 2014.
Sources in the national capital’s Public Works Department’s (PWD) blamed a “technical glitch” for the latest lapse. A trial run on the flyover was supposed to be conducted on 30 June.
The 2.7-kilometre flyover, connecting South Delhi to the Indira Gandhi International Airport, was launched in November 2014 with the objective of reducing traffic jams and easing travel around key Delhi regions such as Vasant Kunj and R.K. Puram.
It has been built parallel to an existing 900m flyover on Rao Tula Ram Marg, which extends from Munirka to the Outer Ring road. This flyover has been in existence since 2009 but authorities had decided that it couldn’t handle the average commute of two lakh vehicles every day.
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PWD says need approval from Delhi Police
After the PWD missed its trial run deadline, it was reported that permission regarding signages was what was causing the delay. “Several meetings have taken place and are going on with Delhi Police to get clearance from them,” G.P. Bhansal, superintending engineer, Flyover Circle 4, PWD, was reported saying.
The Delhi traffic police have, however, denied causing any obstruction.
“You don’t require the police’s clearance for installing signages,” Taj Hassan, special commissioner, Delhi Traffic Police, told ThePrint. “There was a meeting held 3-4 months back after which a joint inspection was conducted, but we never put any restriction on any signages to be installed on the flyover.
“Ask them to show the letter where we are denying them any permission for signs,” Hassan added.
ThePrint reached PWD officials for comment but they refused to respond.
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Six previously missed deadlines
The first completion date set for the flyover was November 2016. The reasons cited for missing that deadline were many — including struggling to get permission from the forest department to a lack of resources.
Since then, the Hindustan Construction Company (HCC), responsible for constructing the flyover, missed six more deadlines — September 2017, June 2018, July 2018, December 2018, March 2019 and now, 30 June.
The reasons for these missed deadlines were many, primarily having to do with the financial crunch that HCC has been facing.
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