Good news for Delhi-NCR residents, Ashram underpass to be inaugurated today

Around 2.5 lakh to 3 lakh vehicles cross the Ashram intersection in south Delhi every day during peak traffic hours.

Vehicles ply on Ashram underpass as it opened for traffic trials on March 22 (ANI Photo)

New Delhi: In what could benefit lakhs of people daily, the much-awaited 750-metre long underpass at the Ashram crossing in Delhi will be inaugurated on Sunday (April 24).

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

Ashram Chowk is an important link between central and south Delhi and also with Faridabad. The junction connects the Mathura Road and the 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.

PWD अधिकारियों के साथ आश्रम चौक अंडरपास के निर्माण कार्य का निरीक्षण किया.

यह कार्य अब अपने अंतिम चरण में है और यह अंडरपास 22 मार्च से ट्रेफ़िक के लिए खोल दिया जाएगा. इसके बनने से आश्रम चौक से गुजरने वाले कई लाख लोगों को रोज़ाना के ट्रेफ़िक जाम से राहत मिलेगी. pic.twitter.com/JPx1ucWaF4

— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) March 7, 2022

Delhi's Dy CM @msisodia inspects the progress of the Ashram Underpass in his new role as the PWD Minister!

"The underpass will be ready in the next 15 days. By 22 March 2022, it will be opened for traffic & lakhs of commuters will benefit." pic.twitter.com/WvbKjXNpAR — AAP (@AamAadmiParty) March 7, 2022

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)