Metro will clear roads by July-end

Sunday, May 10, 2009
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

There is good news for Delhi drivers. Jams on MG Road, NH-8, Aurobindo Marg and Vikas Marg among other arterial roads are set to go as 

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has promised to remove all roadblocks and diversions in place for construction work by July-end.

With Delhi Metro's Phase II lines fast getting operational - the Vishwavidyalaya to Jehangirpuri section has already been opened, and the Noida, Mundka and Gurgaon lines are also expected to open by the end of the year — one can expect relief on the city's road network soon. The DMRC chief is understood to have told traffic police at a meeting on Friday that arterial roads including Vikas Marg, UP Link Road, Aurobindo Marg, Outer Ring Road near IIT, MG Road, Rohtak Road, Dhaula Kuan, parts of Lutyens Delhi and INA will be cleared of all construction activity within two months.

"After that happens, the roads will be restored and recarpeted. The traffic signals, bus shelters and other such street furniture which has been removed for the construction will be set up again on the stretches and free movement of traffic will be allowed soon after," said sources. Areas where the Badarpur and Airport metro lines are coming up, however, may not be cleared immediately as the approvals for these lines came last. DMRC officials said construction on parts of these two lines would take some more time.

Relief is also on way on the congested Naraina T-point where a flyover is being constructed by Public Works Department. Sources said construction of the flyover would be completed by September after which the plan is to use the flyover for one-way movement of traffic on Ring Road while traffic in the opposite direction will move on one side of the Ring Road.

"This will ensure that some space is available at the ground level for the finishing work like road relaying and restoration. The traffic situation at Naraina is only expected to get better from now on," said a senior traffic police official.

This is expected to bring a lot of relief to Delhi's stretched road network where constricted road space due to all the construction had resulted in major chaos in the past few years. The situation was particularly bad last year when all the construction was at its peak. After this, only very few roads will be left with construction.