NEW DELHI: From December 25, both the carriageways of the Ashram flyover will be closed to traffic for 45 days to enable the construction of a connecting road and to link the existing flyover with its new extension. To manage vehicular movement at this crucial location during this trying period, police have set 19 conditions before the Public Works Department.On Wednesday, as reported by TOI, PWD was granted police nod to carry out this work, which would create a major traffic disruption at the location. But the okay comes with PWD being required to comply with conditions that would allow reasonably smooth movement of traffic. PWD needs to, among others, shift the bus stand at Taimur Nagar, install traffic lights at Taimur Nagar T point, create a carriageway for vehicles coming from CV Raman Nagar and going towards Sarai Kale Khan and set up a no-parking zone on both carriageways.Traffic police officers feel that a diversion cannot be created since the Ashram intersection is a major transit point. Therefore, traffic personnel and marshals will manage the vehicular movement to ease the load on alternative roads.TOI spoke to traffic officers who claimed to be trying to find the best ways to ensure smoother traffic during what could be a turbulent time for motorists. “For vehicles from CV Raman Marg, a carriageway will give them an easy turn towards Sarai Kale Khan without obstructing traffic coming from Ashram chowk and heading to Sarai Kale khan,” said one officer. “We don’t mean we will create a carriageway, only that traffic personnel will use barricades to mimic a carriageway.”While a traffic signal will have to be erected at the Taimoor Nagar T-point, the bus stand, which is just 50 metres from the T point, will have to be shifted temporarily to a location before the T point. PWD has been instructed to put up boards and signages to ensure motorists are aware of the location of the new bus stand.”We will have more meetings with Delhi traffic Police in the next few days and finalise the traffic management plan. But most of their suggestions have been implemented and we will carry out the rest so the flyover can be closed for the integration work,” said a PWD official.With the shutting of the Ashram flyover, the load of the vehicles will fall on Barapullah flyover, Kalindi Kunj, ITO, Pragati Maidan tunnel, Mayur Vihar, Akshardham, NH-9, Mathura Road and some other areas. “With the Barapullah flyover likely to be the route for most coming from Moolchand, traffic on the Barapullah corridor will go up substantially once the Ashram flyover closes,” pointed out a traffic officer. “Vehicles coming from central and south Delhi have the option of using ITO or Bhairon Marg to go to east Delhi, bypassing Ashram and the Barapullah corridor. Those driving from Badarpur and Tughlaqabad may use the Kalindi Kunj road.’The officer said there definitely would be an impact on traffic on all these alternative routes as well. “Commuters should plan their journeys in advance and regularly check social media for notifications about traffic conditions on the stretch,” the officer added.The construction company will re-carpet the roads that remain open with sufficient width to ensure uninterrupted movement of the traffic and will also remove all central verges on the carriageway from Ashram to Sarai Kale Khan and vice versa. The police terms and conditions also include ensuring the cost of any damage during work to signals or cables to be borne by the PWD, no parking of vehicles on either carriageways and the deployment of trained marshals with complete safety measures round the clock on the stretch.
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/ashram-flyover-closure-in-delhi-how-cops-pwd-plan-to-soften-blow/articleshow/96410209.cms