NEW DELHI: The repair and rehabilitation of the Wazirabad bridge have finally been completed and it is now open for traffic, providing relief to motorists travelling between north Delhi and east Delhi.
“Several things have been revamped, with overall rehabilitation of the structure and the rest of the parts. We have made sure that safety measures are in place and smooth flow of traffic is possible on this bridge, which is one of the oldest bridges,” a Public Works Department official said, requesting anonymity.
The Wazirabad Barrage Road Bridge was built in 1957 and serves as a link between north-east Delhi and north Delhi. The two-lane bridge is frequented by commercial vehicles coming from UP, Haryana and Punjab.
When built, its function as a bridge was secondary, and the main purpose was to provide adequate water to the Chandrawal water treatment plant, the oldest such facility in Delhi because the population of the city had increased significantly by then and demand for water was increasing. The bridge was built by the National Project Construction Corporation.
The condition of the bridge had deteriorated over time, with poor pavements and inadequate space for pedestrians to walk. As part of the rehabilitation, the bridge has been made pedestrian-friendly.“It has been ensured that there is enough space for pedestrians and vehicles to ply on the bridge. Slabs have been put on both sides of the bridge, metal crash barriers have been installed, and grills have been fitted, wherever missing, for security purposes,” the PWD official said.
Crash barriers have been installed on sides, given the high number of accidents reported on the bridge earlier.“They are going to prevent cars from turning turtle and falling into the Yamuna,” the official said.
Expansion joints have also been placed at places where gaps had developed over the years. The work to rehabilitate and upgrade the bridge began in 2018 and was carried out in three phases, each phase lasting around three months. Around 1.5 lakh to 2 lakh vehicles use the bridge daily.