Delhi: No motorists, only art viewers in Pragati tunnel on Sundays

NEW DELHI: The Pragati Maidan tunnel will be closed to motorists on Sunday, according to Indian Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) officials.
“This is being done so that people can take a tour and enjoy the artwork inside,” said LC Goyal, CMD ITPO.
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during the inauguration of the transit corridor, had suggested that a day in the week should be just for pedestrians to take a look inside the tunnel.On June 19, five underpasses and a 1.36km tunnel were opened to the public by the PM. This has cut a lot of traffic on Mathura Road and Bhairon Marg and surrounding areas.
The artwork inside the main tunnel was deeply appreciated by the PM. If one drives through the tunnel, one will see the finest expressions of India’s culture, with the theme of “Celebration of life through the six seasons of India”, through murals on the two side walls and central columns.
The corridor will allow smooth travel to India Gate and other central Delhi areas from east Delhi, Noida and Ghaziabad without facing snarls at ITO, Mathura Road and Bhairon Marg. The tunnel starts near National Sports Complex of India at Purana Qila Road and passes underneath the redeveloped Pragati Maidan to meet Ring Road near the Pragati power station.
The project has four underpasses on Mathura Road for vehicles to take U-turns and to avoid traffic signals on Bhagwan Das Road, Sher Shah Road, Bhairon Marg and Subramania Bharati Marg, making the stretch signal-free. Costing around Rs 923 crore, the integrated transit network consists of a tunnel and six underpasses.
The tunnel is Delhi’s widest urban underground six-lane tunnel with a width varying from 28.2 metres to 42 metres at certain areas. It is one of the longest “box pushed” tunnels that goes under a seven-track railway line.