Big relief coming for Faridabad, Noida commuters

NEW DELHI: While doubts remain on whether the Commonwealth Games will make Delhi a 'world-class city', it's certainly going to bring major relief to commuters travelling to Delhi from Faridabad and Noida. While National Highways Authority of India officials said the concessionaire of the Badarpur elevated road to Faridabad has agreed to open the main corridor for traffic by Sunday, PWD is also set to inaugurate its second flyover on the UP Link road to Noida on that day.

Officials of both agencies said unprecedented rain this year had delayed the two crucial road projects meant to ease traffic movement between Delhi and the two satellite cities. But with the weather improving, things are back on track.

The opening of the UP Link flyover would make the stretch between Geeta Colony and Noida completely signal-free. The Badarpur elevated stretch, meanwhile, will come as a boon to Delhi-Faridabad commuters who often get stuck in huge jams at the Badarpur border.

"The main structure of the UP Link flyover is almost ready. We are on the job to complete the laying of approach roads to the double-carriageway fast link. We will open the stretch for traffic on Sunday. The additional bridge over Chilla regulator will also be opened by then," claimed project manager Sarvagya Srivastava.

He added that the base course below the bitumen layer technically known WMM was wet due to heavy rain. "Since we could not wait for the material to dry up, we have removed the entire layer and have replaced it with dry material. We will now start black-topping work on the approach roads. Black-topping of the main flyover is complete. We are fixing expansion joints," Srivastava said.

Though a visit to the site leaves one with the impression that the PWD might need 10 more days to complete it, department engineers said that to meet the Games deadline they have stepped up construction work.

"Since there is urgency we removed the wet WMM at our own cost. We have mobilized resources and manpower to complete by Games," said spokesperson of DSC Ltd, contractor of the project.
Srivastava said they would let the traffic use the flyover after laying dense bitumen. After the Games, they would lay an additional coat of bitumen. "Since we have replaced the wet WMM, there is little chance of the approach road developing any damage, he claimed.

PWD officials said that beautification and remaining work on this stretch would continue after the opening of the flyover.

Meanwhile, NHAI officials said that Hindustan Construction Company (HCC), which is constructing the Badarpur elevated stretch, has told the authority that traffic would be allowed on the elevated corridor as 'diversion' so that they can expedite the remaining work on the ground road to complete the project by the end of October. "Effectively, this will bring relief to commuters from major traffic jams at the border," said an NHAI official.

At present, commuters spend at least 45 minutes to cross the 4km stretch between Faridabad and Badarpur during peak hours. "The opening of the elevated road for thorough traffic would reduce travel time and make the drive smoother. Since tolling on this stretch will start only after the completion of the project, for first one month or so, no toll will be charged," said an NHAI official.