Get Ready For A Signal-Free Ride From East Delhi To Ghaziabad

Long traffic snarls causing delays are a regular when travelling between east Delhi and Ghaziabad. In order to decongest the routes that connect the national capital with Ghaziabad, the authorities are now planning to come up with signal-free stretches.

One such stretch is being planned at the Mangal Pandey Marg in northeast Delhi that connects Ghaziabad with Bhajanpura. While the Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had in his Budget Speech announced that the construction of this route would start this year, the authorities still await the administrative clearances and nod from the Cabinet. With two flyovers and one underpass planned, here is how the new stretch could decongest the route:

 The plan

The Mangal Pandey Marg is one of the key stretches that connect Delhi with Uttar Pradesh. At present, it takes over an hour to reach the Khajuri Chowk from Ghaziabad due to heavy traffic and encroachments along the stretch. However, the proposed corridor is expected to reduce the travel time by atleast 40 minutes. According to the plan, an underpass and couple of flyovers will be constructed between the Khajuri Chowk and the Bhopura border in UP. Currently, the road has nearly eight traffic signals that slow down the speed of traffic during peak hours. The flyover, in Delhi, will connect to areas including Karawal Nagar, Bhajanpura Junction and Gagan Cinema in Nand Nagri T Junction. The underpass will be constructed at Loni Road.

The project will be completed for an estimated cost is Rs 628 crore.

Timeline

While the signal-free corridor was conceptualised in 2015, the project was approved by the Unified Traffic And Transportation Infrastructure Centre after a year, in November 2016. The approval process and preparation were further delayed as multiple agencies were involved in the project. It was in November 2017 when the Public Works Department (PWD) submitted the estimates to the secretariat which were returned by the authorities for a revised report.

The tenders are yet to be floated as the file is lying pending with the secretariat due to shifting of utilities.

Once the finance and planning department clears the file, the report will be sent to the Cabinet for the approval. The construction is expected to start in six months after receiving approval.

Areas to be impacted

Areas such as Khajuri Khas, Bhajanpura, Mandoli, Nand Nagri, Seemapuri, Sundernagri and Bhopura are some of the areas that would benefit from this signal-free corridor. The direct route between the two points will facilitate smoother travel for daily commuters going towards Ghaziabad in the east or towards Wazirabad in the west. With the Signature Bridge in the making, the entire stretch is expected to be further congested until the signal-free route is constructed.