Now, zip from east Delhi to south via slip road

NEW DELHI: If you are driving through the Barapullah elevated road and want to slip out near Moolchand, you can do that by this month-end. The exit road being constructed at the Lala Lajpat Rai Marg should be ready and commuters will be able to zip out soon. The road will help provide easy access to those wanting to go from east Delhi towards Greater Kailash, Jangpura, Defence Colony, Lajpat Nagar or CGO complex.Till now, they could only get off near Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
But, the other slip road being constructed to access the elevated road from near Lala Lajpat Rai Marg will be ready by September. "The slip road near Moolchand will help provide commuters another exit route. Now, they will also be able to move towards CGO complex using this road by taking a U-turn from under the Defence Colony flyover. Till now, commuters could only exit from near the JLN stadium. Once this is operational, we hope the number of people using the elevated road will also go up. The other slip road, which was supposed to help provide access to the elevated road from Lala Lajpat Rai Marg towards Sarai Kale Khan, is not likely to be ready before the monsoon,'' said an PWD official.
Both slip roads were supposed to be ready by this May, but alignment problems and issues related to permission for moving machinery on-site led to delays, officials said. The civic body claimed rain may further delay construction of the slip road - which will provide access to the elevated road from near Lala Lajpat Rai Marg. "We are hoping to wind up work by September, but if it rains very heavily, the deadline may stretch till October,'' added an official.
The 4.3-km elevated Barapullah road currently runs from Sarai Kale Khan to Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. There are plans to extend the road further to provide signal-free access between Mayur Vihar and AIIMS. If this happens, the ride from east Delhi to the heart of the city's south district would take just around 10 minutes.
"Phase-II of the project involves elevating the stretch from Bhishma Pitamah Marg till INA market and connecting it to more areas through slip roads. The proposal has been approved and awaits fund allocation. The report is also being made by us,'' said an official.
Under phase II, more slip roads will be constructed so that people can enter and exit the elevated road from more places. Slip roads will connect the road with Ashram and DND. Two more slip roads will also be made at Lala Lajpat Rai Marg, besides the two which are being constructed right now.
The extension to Mayur Vihar may be taken up in Phase-III and envisages extending the elevated road from Sarai Kale Khan towards the UP link Road, making a bridge over Yamuna and then constructing an elevated road till Mayur Vihar-I.
Meanwhile, commuters complained there are regular pile-ups near the access point of the elevated road near Sarai Kale Khan which triggers bumper-to-bumper jams. "The access point to the road near Sarai Kale Khan is always choked,'' said a commuter, who uses the road to travel from Noida to central Delhi.