Rush hour relief for traffic on new Anand Vihar flyover

New Delhi: Given the worsening traffic congestion near Anand Vihar, the Public Works Department has decided to allow motorists to use the new flyover in the rush hours. The new, six-lane flyover was supposed to have been completed within a year after construction began in 2022, but it remains unfinished with streetlights to be put up and the lanes to be marked.
Delay in getting permission to chop down trees has hindered the completion of the side ramps and a footpath and these are unlikely to be finished by the time the flyover opens. The deadline for the Anand Vihar flyover, which includes an elevated corridor, pedestrian subway and side ramps, was extended from Dec 2023 to April this year and has since been moved to Sept. The ramp will provide access to the flyover for motorists from nearby colonies.
At the moment, there is one tree standing in the middle of the carriageway going towards the Apsara border and another at the end of this ramp. Both have been barricaded by PWD to avoid accidents. The work on the side ramps is going on, the delay in completing it being, according to PWD officials, the tree-felling permit. While the tree transplantations are yet to be approved, the officials said the construction work was nearing completion.
The flyover work came to a standstill last year after the forest department received complaints of a few trees being illegally felled at the project site. Talks between PWD and forest officials have been going on for the past few months without making headway. There are around 75 trees that have been identified for transplantation to another location.
The Anand Vihar project was initially planned in 2019, but the pandemic delayed its commencement. The foundation stone was finally laid in Oct 2022 jointly by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Delhi Assembly speaker Ram Niwas Goel.
Traffic snarls are common in the area. Once the new 1.4km flyover is ready, the segment of Road No. 56 from Ghazipur to Apsara border is likely to become signal-free. The new flyover will bring relief to people living in Ramprastha Colony, Vivek Vihar and Shreshth Vihar. PWD is also constructing a pedestrian subway under the flyover and a green zone on the roadside. The service lane on the side of the flyover is broken in several parts due to the movement of heavy construction machinery and will be repaired by PWD.