With the government laying major thrust on inaugurating infrastructure projects in the run-up to the Assembly elections, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Tuesday laid the foundation stone for a nine-km road that will run parallel to the Outer Ring Road. The new road will lessen the traffic burden on the Outer Ring Road by 40 per cent and help decongest Mukarba Chowk. The project, which will cost Rs 200 crore, will be completed in June 2015.

Over the years, the volume of traffic has increased substantially at Mukarba Chowk, resulting in snarls on the Outer Ring Road. “The new road will take the traffic burden off the Outer Ring Road and will be connected to elevated roads on the ring road. It will have six lanes, ensuring speedy, congestion-free access to the outer areas of Delhi,” Dikshit said.

PWD minister Raj Kumar Chauhan said the parallel road would benefit parts of West and Northwest Delhi, Rohini, Narela, Libaspur, Wazirabad, Jahangirpuri, Burari, Jagatpur, Jharoda and people from neighbouring states using the Outer Ring Road.

Besides, the new road will provide high-speed connectivity to colonies like Swaroop Nagar, Bhalaswa, Mukundpur, Burari, Jagatpur and Wazirabad. “It will provide an alternative route for traffic moving from NH-1 towards east Delhi. The loops at Wazirabad Signature bridge would help improve connectivity,” a PWD official said.

“The new corridor would also decongest the Outer Ring Road of heavy traffic coming from Chandigarh, Sonepat and Karnal on NH-1 and going towards Mukarba Chowk,” the official added.

The process for acquisition of land for the new corridor is underway. A stretch of 200m around Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar would be acquired by the government. “A bridge would be constructed at Bhalaswa connecting the parallel road with the Outer Ring Road for traffic moving towards Azadpur,” the PWD official said.

Notably, the government is constructing a signal-free corridor from Mukarba Chowk to Wazirabad Chowk along the Outer Ring Road. The project comprises constructing four flyovers at various intersections along the way. This is part of a grand plan to make the stretch from Vikaspuri to Wazirabad along the Outer Ring Road signal-free by constructing a number of flyovers and elevated roads.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/to-decongest-outer-ring-road-a-parallel-road/1155172/0