Addressing a press conference here today, Chief Minister Sahib Singh Verma announced that nine flyovers would be built in south Delhi, four in west Delhi, three in east Delhi and one in north Delhi. Out of these, the one at Dhaula Kuan and AIIMS crossing will entail substantial construction and will take three to four years. The others would be ready within one-and-a-half to two years.

The construction of the flyovers will be undertaken by the Public Works Department (PWD), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Delhi Tourism and Transport Development Corporation (DTTDC) and Delhi Development Authority (DDA) at an estimated cost of Rs 500 crore.

The Chief Minister said that the locations have been so chosen that the flyovers will provide relief to entire corridors of traffic. Thus the entire stretch of Ring Road -- Punjabi Bagh-Dhaula Kuan-Ashram-Raj Ghat -- would remain free of traffic lights.

The locations of the flyovers, Verma said, were decided after taking into account the findings of the various traffic studies undertaken by expert bodies such as Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) and DDA. To derive optimum value from the flyovers, concomitant changes in traffic management in the adjoining areas and on feeder roads will be effected. Studies will be undertaken for each of these flyovers, he said.

The PWD will be constructing the Dhaula Kuan and AIIMS flyovers and six more from its own plan funds, MCD will build one flyover from its plan funds and DTTDC one from its own resources, Verma said.

DDA, which is entering this activity for the first time, will undertake the construction of seven flyovers from the urban development fund with prior sanction from the Centre, he said.

``The total project cost will be about Rs 500 crore, including about Rs 140 crore for the fyovers at Dhaula Kuan and AIIMS and about Rs 360 crore for the other 15,'' he said.

Giving details about project funding, he said the DDA and DTTDC would be paid rent for the flyovers by road-owning agencies.

``This way the funds of DDA and DTTDC will get recouped and they will be in a position to attract institutional funding and undertake further infrastructure development works," the Chief Minister said.

Sahib Singh said that a plan was underway to construct at least 16 flyovers over high density railway tracks in the Capital. ``The feasibility study is in the final stage,'' he said, adding an exercise is also on way to identify other locations where flyovers are necessary.

Apart from the two flyovers at Dhaula Kuan and AIIMS which are major projects, the other 15 flyovers will be simple in design with batch construction.

Varied stages in project implementation, namely, preparation of engineering design, traffic diversion arrangements and relocation of underground services will be pursued simultaneously, he said.

For relocation of underground services, task forces will be constituted for each location consisting of representatives of Delhi Vidyut Board (DVB), Delhi Jal Board, Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL), he said.

Locations of flyovers
South Delhi: Dhaula Kuan, Aiims Crossing, Khelgaon and Ring Road, Nehru Place-Outer Ring Road, Nelson Mandela Road- Mahipalpur Road, NH2 and Road No 13 A, Savitri Cinema, Africa Avenue and Moti Bagh

WEST DELHI: Mayapuri and Ring Road, Najafgarh Road and Janakpuri, Peera Garhi, Jail Road and Mayapuri

North Delhi: Ring Road and Road No 41

East Delhi: Vikas Marg-Road No 57, Wazirabad Road and Road No 66, NH-24 Road-Noida crossing