FOB pillar on road adjoining Noida Sector 52 metro station removed to ease traffic: DMRC

New Delhi: A pillar of a foot overbridge on a road adjoining the Delhi Metro station in Sector 52, Noida, has been removed to ease traffic, officials said on Wednesday.

The pillar was obstructing the flow of traffic outside the station, which falls on the Blue Line of the network, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said.

"The DMRC today restored normal traffic on the road adjoining Noida Sector 52 metro station, after successfully removing a pillar of a foot overbridge (FOB) that was obstructing the flow of traffic. The road is now open for smooth traffic movement," it said in a statement.

With meticulous planning and round-the-clock execution, the DMRC completed the task within a very short span of time, officials said.

The foot overbridge was constructed and opened in March 2019 for the ease of commuters travelling by Delhi Metro. However, in 2021, an underpass was constructed on the road below the foot overbridge. This resulted in one pillar of the foot overbridge coming in the middle of the road, which caused a lot of traffic disturbance, the statement said.

However, for the convenience of commuters, the DMRC decided to remove the FOB pillar and clear the road of any obstructions, officials said. The removal work began in the first week of April this year, they said.

A team of DMRC engineers planned the removal work in stages and cast a new foundation, erected new pillars, dismantled the old one, and also restored the road dismantled during construction, the statement said. It was a challenging task to get the work executed in a record time of just three months, it said.

Adequate care was also taken to ensure the safety of the pedestrians and vehicles passing by that area, it said. During this period, DMRC maintained regular liaison with the Noida Authority and Noida Traffic Police, who also extended their cooperation, it added.

The work was carried out by DMRC for Noida Authority, who provided the funds for it, the statement said.