Ashram underpass finally opened for public after missing many deadlines

New Delhi, Apr 24 (PTI) Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Sunday inaugurated the much-awaited Ashram underpass on Mathura Road in south Delhi, and said the facility will benefit lakhs of commuters travelling through the stretch.  The Ashram underpass opened after missing eight deadlines and a delay of over a year.

The underpass connects Bhogal with New Friends Colony on Mathura Road. After its opening, motorists 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.

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).

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

Last month Sisodia 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 from March 22.

The foundation stone of the underpass was laid by 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.

PWD Chief Project Manager PK Parmar said the estimated cost of the project was around Rs 77 crore but only Rs 53 crore was spent on construction of the underpass while rest on shifting of utilities.  Kalkaji MLA Atishi and Jangpura MLA Praveen Kumar were also present at the inaugural ceremony.