NEW DELHI: As soon as the much-awaited Rao Tula Ram (RTR) flyover —connecting south Delhi to the Indira Gandhi International Airport — was opened on Tuesday, vehicles were lining up the ramp within seconds. The Morning Standard decided to put the new flyover to the test and found it a mixed bag. While traffic moved smoothly towards the airport, the arm returning from the airport witnessed heavier traffic pulls. The 2.85 km corridor was crossed within six minutes from its starting point near Nelson Mandela Road till its endpoint at Arjun Path near the 1 Army HQ Signal Regiment.
However, the movement was not two-sided, and traffic remained heavier on one side of the old flyover. “The traffic which congested the road below the newly built flyover has come on it. Vehicles took 45 minutes to cross this stretch earlier and now it is going to be a 10-minute ride,” an official of the Public Works Department (PWD) requesting anonymity told this newspaper. Santosh Singh, an auto driver, shared, “For the first time, I feel traffic is moving smoothly without any jam at this point. But it’s not the same on the way back from the airport.”
Easing the way
The elevated corridor is 9 m wide, which includes the ramp of around 340 m. After the ramp of the elevated corridor, a U-turn is provided to facilitate the traffic of Vasant Enclave, Vasant Gaon, Vasant Apartment and area of Delhi Cantt. This 3-lane elevated corridor is the first-of-its-kind in Delhi, constructed to allow traffic movement below it