Delhi: Signal-free ride likely on Mathura Road by end of February

NEW DELHI: The Public Works Department is trying to complete the underpasses on Mathura Road and commuters may get a major respite by the end of February. The 3-km stretch starting from the ITO skywalk up to Delhi Public School, Mathura Road, will be signal-free when work on two of the four underpasses on the road is completed.
“Work on all the four underpasses is nearing completion, but the target is to complete the project early though there still are some challenges,” said a PWD official overseeing the project.
Under the project, work on the first underpass between Sundar Nagar and Kaka Nagar is complete, while some work still remains on the second underpass near the Matka Peer shrine. This is mainly because Delhi Jal Board’s pipeline is being relocated, and this will take around two weeks’ time. The third underpass is being constructed near the traffic intersection at the Supreme Court, where most of the work is complete and is expected to be ready by the end of this month. The fourth underpass near Bhairon Marg near Delhi Zoo is meant for motorists coming from Kaka Nagar and going towards Delhi high court.
Currently, there are six traffic light stops on this section, and, according to PWD, these lights mean motorists take 15-20 minutes to drive from ITO to Sundar Nagar via Delhi Zoo and past Sundar Nagar. This time will be cut by over half once the underpasses are ready for public use.
The construction ban imposed by Delhi government in November as a measure to check the worsening air pollution halted all the activities at these project sites, delaying their completion. The problem of procuring bituminous material for road carpeting has also been a major hurdle in the completion of these projects on time.