Work on pending underpass to resume post-monsoon: Verma
New Delhi: The Public Works Department (PWD) is set to restart work on the final pending underpass of the Pragati Maidan Integrated Transit Corridor after receiving clearance from the Union Government, Delhi PWD Minister Parvesh Verma announced on Monday.
The underpass—Underpass-5—will connect Bhairon Marg to Ring Road and is seen as crucial to easing traffic congestion around Pragati Maidan, ITO, and Sarai Kale Khan. While five of the six underpasses in the corridor are already operational, work on the sixth has been stalled since 2023 due to technical challenges.
“We’ve completed all technical reviews and submitted our revised proposal to the Centre. As soon as approval comes, we will resume work post-monsoon. This underpass is vital for decongesting traffic, and we are committed to completing it at the earliest,” Verma said.
The 110-metre underpass was originally planned as a three-lane stretch but will now operate as a two-lane passage restricted to light motor vehicles. This follows a redesign prompted by engineering setbacks in 2023, when flooding from the Yamuna caused precast concrete boxes—pushed under a live railway line using the box-pushing method—to sink.
PWD, with inputs from IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, and CBRI, has opted for a cast-in-situ construction method, which minimizes ground risks and avoids disturbing railway tracks. However, the revised design reduces the width from 11.5 metres to 6.25 metres and height from 5.5 metres to 3.9 metres.
A detailed proposal was sent to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) last month. “We are hopeful of a prompt approval. All groundwork is ready, and we can begin work immediately after the rains, with an estimated completion timeline of eight months,” Verma added.
Until completion, traffic management in the area remains dependent on temporary diversions, leading to frequent snarls. Once operational, the downsized underpass is expected to restore smoother traffic flow around the Pragati Maidan exhibition complex.
