NEW DELHI: Chowk Ashram, which was already congested due to the construction of an underpass there, has been experiencing more congestion, especially during rush hours, due to the diversion of traffic from the borders to the arteries. The Chilla border, which is just 5 miles away, has contributed a lot to the traffic chaos. On Friday, however, the border was partially opened to traffic.
Construction of the underpass at Ashram Chowk was due to be completed this month, but the deadline has now been extended to March 2021. The delay has added to the misery of travelers finding a bottleneck there, further increasing your travel time.
Regular commuters said it takes half an hour longer to cross the stretch. They added that poor planning had added to the chaos. The section is an important link between central and south Delhi with the satellite cities of Noida and Faridabad.
“I have traveled this road regularly for more than five years. This place has been a commuter nightmare since day one. However, now it is much worse. First, it was the Delhi metro, then the closing of the Kalindi Kunj border due to Shaheen Bagh’s protest, and now the construction of this underpass. This intersection is an arterial passage and its mismanagement paralyzes the city, ”said Kavita Bhogal, a traveler.
Delhi Traffic News Police officers said they had deployed more personnel to the site to manage traffic and also posted signs to alert travelers. In case of congestion, they alert travelers through social media. Police said they were holding regular review meetings with PWD to assess changes to the diversion plan.
“We are regularly issuing advisories asking travelers to avoid the stretch, if possible, due to the construction work that is taking place there,” said an official.
Since construction work began in December 2019, the width of the track has been reduced to such an extent that it is only wide enough for a bus to pass. PWD officials said work resumed in May after the shutdown, but was slow due to labor shortages as most of the workers had migrated to their villages.
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