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Andheria Mor-IGI drive to get smoother
July 29, 2008
New Delhi:
The ride from south Delhi to Indira
Gandhi International Airport will be much smoother by 2010.
Since 33 million people are expected to use Delhi airport by 2021,
the government is in a hurry to give flyers better access. So, after
clearing three flyovers on Outer Ring Road, it's taking up redevelopment
of the Mehrauli-Mahipalpur road.
The road is to be widened to eight lanes, two underpasses and
a flyover built on it and an existing flyover widened. Under the
plan, a bypass will be built which will take the traffic to Shiv
Murti on NH-8. The objective is to provide a smooth ride from
Andheria Mor to the airport.
Today, the road is a nightmare for motorists as rampant encroachments
and heavy traffic volumes cause jams on it every day. Crossing
the Mahipalpur village stretch alone takes 30-45 minutes during
peak hours. Traffic police officials say they are helpless since
the road is not wide enough to cater to the increasing traffic
load. With shops lining the main carriageway, the village has
eaten up precious road space which the government is finding difficult
to retrieve now.
Masoodpur village, where a market catering to most of Vasant
Kunj has come up along the main road, is another major headache.
It's a traffic bottleneck about which not much can be done.
ROAD AHEAD
- A wider Mehrauli-Mahipalpur road with eight lanes
- A flyover at Andheria Mor crossing
- Another flyover at Masoodpur village; it will join an extended
flyover at the Nelson Mandela Marg crossing
- Underpasses near Shiv Murti on NH-8, and at Mahipalpur crossing
Flyover, new bypass to tackle bottlenecks
The government is working on a new plan to facilitate a smoother
journey to IGI Airport. The plan,
which will be executed by the Public Works Department (PWD), proposes
a flyover at the busy Andheria Mor crossing.
Also, the Mehrauli-Mahipalpur road will be widened to eight lanes,
complete with a service road on either side. "The
width of the road will be increased from the available 25m to
75m. A wide central median, spanning 10m, has been planned, on
which the monorail will come up in future,'' said
an official.
A 0.7 km-long flyover has been proposed at Masoodpur village.
It will join the existing one at the Nelson Mandela Marg crossing.
This flyover, which has only one carriageway now, will be extended
on both sides.
Next, a six-lane road is being constructed opposite Ryan International
School, which will open on the Delhi-Gurgaon
expressway near Shiv Murti. At this point, an underpass below
the expressway is being proposed to provide direct access to the
airport. A service road running parallel to the expressway is
also being planned for vehicles going to Mahipalpur.
Even as the slip road is being planned as an alternative to the
Mahipalpur stretch, another underpass will be constructed at the
main Mahipalpur crossing to provide another route to the airport.
The project, which has a 2010 deadline, has got an inprinciple
nod from the traffic police. "The route to the airport
is congested, and with traffic volumes increasing, this plan will
come as a major respite,'' said a senior traffic police
official.
- First flyover will come up at Andheria Mor to reduce stoppage
time
- The Mehrauli-Mahipalpur road will be widened to eight lanes,
with service roads
- A 0.7-km long flyover will help bypass the Masoodpur stretch.
This will join the existing flyover at Nelson Mandela Marg crossing,
which will be widened
- This 3-km bypass will open next to Shiv Murti on NH-8 and
end into an underpass below the expressway 5 Another underpass
at the main Mahipalpur crossing will provide free access to
IGI
Source: The Times of India
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