New Delhi: After missing eight deadlines and a delay of over a year, the much-awaited Ashram underpass on Mathura Road in south Delhi was inaugurated on Sunday (April 24, 2022).


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Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia inaugurated the 750-metre long underpass and said that the facility will benefit lakhs of commuters travelling through the stretch.


The underpass connects Bhogal with New Friends Colony on Mathura Road and people travelling to ITO and other parts of central Delhi from New Friends Colony and Badarpur will have a smooth ride through the busy Ashram crossing.


Addressing a small gathering, Sisodia, who also holds a PWD portfolio, said the underpass will not only save the time of commuters but will also result in a daily saving of 1,550 litres of fuel.



"I am told by engineers here that nearly 1,550 litre fuel is burnt by commuters daily while waiting at the Ashram crossing only. It will also reduce the emission of 3,600 kg of carbon gas.Now all this fuel and money along with travelling time will be saved. It will benefit lakhs of commuters of Delhi," Sisodia said.


He said it was a complex construction and it was very difficult to build the underpass during heavy traffic.


Sisodia also said that proper arrangements have been made to ensure there is no waterlogging in the underpass during the monsoon season.


Kalkaji MLA Atishi and Jangpura MLA Praveen Kumar were also present at the inaugural ceremony. 



Ashram Chowk is an important link between central and south Delhi and also with Faridabad. The junction connects Mathura Road and Ring Road (linking Lajpat Nagar-Sarai Kale Khan and the DND flyover).


According to data provided by the traffic police, around 2.5 lakh to 3 lakh vehicles cross the Ashram intersection every day during peak traffic hours.


Last month Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who also holds the PWD portfolio, had said the facility will be opened for the public on March 22 but it could not be done because of non-completion of work. However, the PWD had started the trial run of the facility on March 22.




It is notable that the underpass has missed several deadlines. The foundation stone of the underpass was laid by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on December 24, 2019, and it was to be completed in a year's time.


PWD officials said the deadline was first extended to March 2021, further pushed to June 30, 2021, and then to September 2021. It was again extended to December 2021 and then to March 2022.


(With agency inputs)


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