Chirag Dilli flyover to finally reopen today! But what caused the delay?

On the Outer Ring Road of Delhi, traffic movement will ease as the restoration and upkeep work on the Chirag Dilli flyover is completed, and, from Wednesday, the stretch will be completely operational, said officials.

“Providing relief from traffic jams to the people of Delhi is the Arvind Kejriwal-led government’s top priority. In this direction, the PWD has completed the maintenance work of the Chirag Dilli flyover, ahead of its schedule,” said Delhi PWD Minister Atishi Marlena.

Now, on both carriageways, work is over and the flyover will be open for traffic from tomorrow, she added on Tuesday.

Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal closely monitored the maintenance work regularly, and the work was carried out at twice the speed, she further said.

What caused the delay in reopening of Chirag Dilli flyover?

The flyover maintenance work was halted several times due to rainfall which caused delays. Because of western disturbance, national capital Delhi and nearby areas witnessed untimely rains. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast, another western disturbance is set to hit the western Himalayan region.

“We are proud that PWD has taken another step forward in the direction of making Delhi free of traffic jams,” said Atishi, reported The Indian Express.

On March 31, the work on the first carriageway of the Chirag Dilli flyover was completed. On April 1, repairs of the second carriageway started. It connects Southeast Delhi, Southwest Delhi, Airport, and IIT.

The PWD Minister of the national capital also visited the under-construction half flyover at Sarai Kale Khan T-junction. By July, before the targeted time, work on the flyover will also be completed, she said.

After completion, the elevated corridor will provide signal-free movement between Southeast Delhi and Sarai Kale Khan to ITO and Central Delhi. The flyover is three-lane. 

The minister also claimed that the bridge is expected to cut five tons of CO2 emissions. It will also assist commuters to save Rs 19 crore every year, the PWD minister stated.