Zip from East to South Delhi in 10 min

NEW DELHI: Chief minister Sheila Dikshit has asked PWD officials to submit a proposal to extend the Barapullah elevated road to Mayur Vihar through a new bridge over river Yamuna.
The 4.3km Barapullah road currently runs from Sarai Kale Khan to JN Stadium. If sanctioned, the extended road will provide signal-free access between Mayur Vihar and AIIMS. Phase-II work on the road, making the stretch from Bhishma Pitamah Marg till INA market elevated and connecting it to more areas through slip roads, has been approved and awaits fund allocation.
The extension to Mayur Vihar may be taken up in phase III. "We recently had a meeting with the chief minister in which we were told to look into extending the elevated road till east Delhi. A proposal will be submitted to the cabinet for an in-principle approval before a detailed project report can be made," said a senior PWD official.
He said the new plan 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 phase-I.
"Once that happens, travel time from east Delhi to south Delhi will be reduced to 10 minutes. DDA's transport infrastructure wing, UTTIPEC, had also suggested extending the Barapullah road to east Delhi," the official added.
He said work on phase II of the project will start as soon as funds are allocated by the Delhi government. "Under phase II, more slip roads will be constructed so that people can get into and exit the elevated road from more places. Slip roads will to 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," said an official.
The two slip roads being made at Lala Lajpat Rai Marg will help commuters access the road from Moolchand and move from Lala Lajpat Rai Marg towards Sarai Kale Khan. These roads will be completed by June this year. The other two roads will be constructed under phase II - one enabling traffic movement from the JN stadium to Lala Lajpat Rai Marg, and the other for traffic moving towards Oberoi Hotel.
The present elevated road was constructed in 20 months at a cost of Rs 500 crore. It was meant to provide easy connectivity to Commonwealth Games athletes while travelling from the Games Village to the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Opened to the public after the Games, it was not only supposed to cut down on travel time but also decongest Ashram Chowk, Bhairon Road, Lajpat Nagar, Ring Road and South Extension.
However, the project has come under a lot of criticism as hardly any traffic movement is seen on the stretch. According to officials, the fact that there is also only one entry and exit point along the stretch is a major impediment. There are also no proper signages along the road.