New Delhi: Public Works Department (PWD) has set a Feb 2027 deadline to complete the construction of the much-delayed Bhairon Marg underpass — a crucial part of the Pragati Maidan Integrated Transit Corridor.PWD minister Parvesh Verma has said that the “box issue” has almost been resolved and the agency will complete the project by next Feb. Railways has given its in-principle approval for halting train movement for some days, after which the work on the stretch will further progress, he added.The issue with the Pragati Maidan underpass No. 5 involves structural failures: Precast concrete boxes pushed under active railway lines via the “box-pushing” method sank, cracked and stalled in 2023 due to severe water seepage from and flooding of the Yamuna.The underpass is designed to provide signal-free connectivity between Sarai Kale Khan and Mathura Road. It also aims at slashing transit times and improving overall traffic flow between east, central and southeast Delhi, including key stretches near ITO, Rajghat and Laxmi Nagar, by reducing heavy traffic at the ITO intersection and surrounding areas. Once completed, it will allow commuters to bypass the congested Ring Road-Bhairon Marg junction.“It is set to ease travel for daily commuters from Noida and central Delhi who use Ring Road and the Mathura Road corridor,” said an official.Officials said that since the stretch passes directly beneath operational railway tracks, PWD had requested stopping train movement to prevent concrete boxes under the railway lines from sinking and also because intensive ground stabilization work cannot be performed while trains run.The transit project corridor, inaugurated in June 2022, is a 1.36-km-long, six-lane main tunnel designed to decongest central Delhi by connecting Mathura Road to Ring Road. It features six underground underpasses: four on Mathura Road, one on Bhairon Marg and another connecting Bhairon Marg with Ring Road. Underpass No. 5, also known as the Bhairon Marg-Ring Road underpass, is the only incomplete portion of the project.PWD has been struggling to fully operationalize the Bhairon Marg underpass for more than three years now. However, with Railways giving its permission, PWD is hopeful of completing it by next Feb, said Verma.The project, funded by Union government, was built at a cost of more than Rs 920 crore. It is also aimed at providing hassle-free and smooth access to the new world-class exhibition and convention center at Pragati Maidan, thereby facilitating easy participation of exhibitors and visitors.The main tunnel connects Ring Road with India Gate via Purana Qila Road and passes through Pragati Maidan. The six-lane divided tunnel has multiple purposes, including allowing access to the huge basement parking of Pragati Maidan.
