Lajpat Nagar flyover to stay partly closed for repair

NEW DELHI: The Lajpat Nagar flyover will be closed partially for a couple of days later this week to facilitate repair work. The gap between two of its expansion joints has become extremely wide over the past few days, causing concern that the flyover may not be safe for use.
Dispelling doubts about its structural safety, PWD officials said there was no reason to worry but because one particular joint had become larger than others, they would repair it, using a steel plate.Two-wheeler riders are facing problems due to the widening gap between the expansion joints.
“The expansion joints are there precisely because the flyover expands and contracts with changing weather. The gap between the joints has increased because of the extreme cold in the past few days. One of them has become especially larger than the others and we have decided to hold this together with a steel plate. There is no problem with the structural safety of the flyover,” said an official. “As soon as the steel plate is ready and we get permission from the traffic police, we will undertake partial closure of the flyover for a couple of days to carry out the repair.”
According to sources, the flyover has always had a problem with the joints used during its construction. “Right now, a single plate joint has been used and we will replace it with modular joints when intensive repair of this flyover is undertaken,” the official added.
The Lajpat Nagar flyover is already due for a comprehensive repair, including a change of expansion joints. PWD is in the process of tendering this work, which should, depending on permission from traffic police, start in March.
This closure, when it does happen, will spell chaos for the area, especially since the flyover runs parallel to the extremely busy Lajpat Nagar Market, which sees a huge volume of traffic. Ashram Chowk is already congested due to ongoing Metro construction work.