New Delhi, Aug 4 (PTI) Commuters travelling on the Ring Road stretch near the Bhairon Marg, Sarai Kale Khan, and ITO will soon get relief from traffic snarls with the Centre approving the completion of Underpass No 5, which is a part of the Pragati Maidan transit corridor, officials said on Monday.
For more than two years now, Delhi’s Public Works Department (PWD) has been struggling to fully operationalise the Bhairon Marg underpass due to technical difficulties faced in construction work. Now, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has approved the department’s revised plan.
“This is not just a clearance, it is a green signal to speed, transparency, and accountability. Every rupee spent on infrastructure must yield public value, and I am glad that this solution safeguards both engineering integrity and financial responsibility,” PWD minister Parvesh Verma said.
According to officials, due to the incomplete underpass, traffic is being managed with temporary diversions and barricades, leading to severe congestion near Ring Road, Bhairon Marg, and Sarai Kale Khan.
Construction work at the underpass had halted in 2023 after the precast concrete boxes, pushed beneath an active railway line using the ‘box-pushing’ method, sank due to flooding caused by the nearby Yamuna River.
Now, the PWD will carry out grouting work under the box structures to stabilise the soil and other works.
“The engineering challenges, combined with the sensitivity of working under live railway lines, demanded expert intervention. As per the revised design, the height of one side of the underside will be reduced from 5.5 meters to 3.9 meters,” an official said.
Which means the underpass will now be restricted to light motor vehicles only and will operate as a two-lane corridor instead of the originally planned three lanes.
Earlier this year, PWD had submitted a detailed proposal, including expert recommendations and revised engineering designs, to the MoHUA. PTI SSM RHL
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