NEW DELHI: 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 the public next week, a move that will benefit lakhs of commuters.
The 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.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, earlier carried out an inspection of the underpass and announced that it would be opened for the public on March 22.
The foundation stone for the underpass was laid by CM Arvind Kejriwal on December 24, 2019, and it was to be completed in a year but work got delayed several times due to various reasons. 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 are also to be done. It can be done even after the facility is opened, he said.
Sisodia, who also holds the PWD portfolio, said the 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).