The estimated cost of the ashram underpass project is Rs 78 crore (Representational)
After a delay of over a year during which it missed nearly eight deadlines, the 750-metre-long underpass at the perennially clogged Ashram crossing in Delhi is all set to open for public next week, a move that will benefit lakhs of commuters.
Delhi's Public Works Department (PWD) has finalised the construction work of the underpass.
"The construction work has almost been completed. Only some finishing touches are being given. We hope to open it next week on the given date," a government official said.
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had earlier this month carried out an inspection of the underpass in south Delhi and had announced that it would be opened for the public on March 22.
The foundation stone for the underpass was laid by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on December 24, 2019, and it was to be completed in a year.
PWD officials said the deadline was first extended to March 2021. It was further pushed to June 30, 2021 and then to September 2021. It was again extended to December 2021 and finally to March 2022.
The officials said they are yet to get a schedule for its inauguration ceremony from the government.
An official said shed work on ramps of the underpass is underway and footpaths along the road of the underpass is also to be done. Both of these can be done even after the facility is opened, he said.
Mr Sisodia, who also holds the PWD portfolio, said opening of the underpass will benefit lakhs of people daily.
Ashram Chowk is an important link between central and south Delhi and also with Faridabad. The junction connects Mathura Road and Ring Road (linking Lajpat Nagar-Sarai Kale Khan and the DND flyover).
According to data provided by the traffic police, around 2.5 lakh to three lakh vehicles cross the Ashram intersection every day during peak traffic hours.
The PWD officials said the delay initially was due to the COVID-19 lockdown and later, because of the ban on construction activities amid a spike in pollution levels.
The estimated cost of the project is Rs 78 crore, they said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)