HALF FLYOVER PUNJABI BAGH & RAJA GARDEN – Two flyovers and twice the mess

August 5, 2014

The Times of India (Delhi)Neha Lalchandani & Somreet Bhattacharya

TNN

In the second part of our series on half flyovers, we look at the ones at Punjabi Bagh and Raja Garden, next to each other, for which PWD is appointing a consultant to find a solution. The road can’t be widened and the traffic volume is huge

Two half flyovers on Ring Road near Punjabi Bagh stopped serving their purpose of easing traffic a few years ago. At present, the two flyovers, at a distance of about 500m along the same road, create chaos rather than streamline the traffic. Due to severe congestion and poor road engineering, gridlocks have become a routine affair on this stretch.The public works department will shortly be appointing a consultant who will suggest what kind of interventions are needed to ease the traffic flow along this road. This may include building parallel flyovers along both the existing ones.Built about 15 yearsBuilt about 15 years back, the flyovers were intended to solve the traffic jams on this road due to several red lights. However, the traffic has since then increased many times and the flyovers are just and the flyovers are just not sufficient to cater to the demand.

Traffic cops say that more than eight lakh vehicles pass through this stretch daily. As this huge mass crosses the Najafgarh drain, Ring Road takes a sharp right turn towards the Raja Garden half flyover and the road width gets

reduced to three lanes because of a CNG pump located on the edge of the road.
Scores of autorickshaws and trucks edge their way onto the

main carriageway , eating into almost an entire lane and leading to the first bottleneck.

Once the vehicles manage to weave their way through this mess, they find themselves suddenly on the three-lane flyover over Punjabi Bagh Club which descends into four lanes

on Ring Road, the extreme left lane joining in from under the flyover.
The merging traffic

struggles for space for the next few hundred metres till it arrives at a red light below the half flyover coming from the Punjabi Bagh crossing on the other side of the road. The red light is at the Moti Bagh crossing.

The other flyover, coming from the opposite direction over the Moti Bagh crossing, is another traffic nightmare.

The traffic, which has been moving on a four-lane road having descended from a two-way flyover over Punjabi Bagh suddenly finds the road divided with two lanes continuing straight and the other two lanes going down on the left towards the residential areas. The volume of this traffic is huge, says traffic police, and this half flyover is just not sufficient to handle the current load.

PWD officials say there are several reasons for the congestion which include a Ramlila Ground nearby and the Metro Phase-III construction along this road. “A new station will come up here and arrangements need to be made for multi modal transport. Widening the road does not seem possible right now due to location of a cremation ground next to the Najafgarh drain, dense residential areas on the other side and markets. There are also a lot of trees along this stretch even in the middle of the road which are a potential traffic hazard. “We have carried out some surface improvement but that has not helped. A drastic change will be needed and we will implement what the consultant recommends,“ said an official.

Source-http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/

Written by ITW Editor · Filed Under Dehi, Flyovers

HALF FLYOVER SAVITRI – Nightmare on Outer Ring Rd

July 31, 2014

Neha Lalchandani & Somreet Bhattacharya

TNN

Delhi has seven half flyovers while another will come up at Dhaula Kuan. PWD is reviewing them because of worsening jams. A TOI campaign led to a solution for RTR. In a series, we take a look at other troublespots

The half flyover at Savitri Cinema on Outer Ring Road came up around 1999. It was part of a larger project to make Outer Ring Road signal-free. That is yet to be achieved, but the spot has become a nightmare, especially during peak traffic hours.Over the years, traffic has grown. Traffic Police officials say that more than 10 lakh vehicles pass through this stretch daily. As this huge stream from the four-lane Chirag Dilli flyover gushes towards this half flyover, the width of the road gets reduced to virtually three lanes because of a gas cylinder depot jutting out into the road. That creates a knot which takes time to unravel and knocks out traffic over a long distance.As the vehicles slowly emerge from this bottleneck, there are barely two lanes each available for the straight moving (headed for Nehru Place) and right-turning (going towards GK-II) traffic. Since the volume of vehicles going towards Nehru Place is quite huge, it effectively means four lanes of vehicles being squeezed into two lanes.Public Works Department has never tired of saying that a half flyover is a technically sound idea for T-points, which is what the Savitri crossing was. However, to implement such a project, a realistic estimate of traffic flows and sufficient road width are needed.

“We feel it has worked well and the problems are a result of traffic mismanagement,“ said a senior PWD official.Traffic Police and road users don’t agree at all. When the traffic going towards Nehru Place piles up, it often blocks the way for the right turning traffic, creating a cascading effect. Adding to the chaos now is the work being carried out by Delhi Metro right next to the flyover.On the other carriageway which gives access to the half flyover to traffic going towards Chirag Dilli, the road next to the flyover ends in a compulsory left turn towards GK-II. “ At the start of the flyover near Chittaranjan Park, there is very little convergence space for vehicles. As traffic descends, the road curves sharply towards the Chirag Delhi flyover which results in slowing down of traffic,“ said a traffic official. A divider constructed on the last lane of the carriageway for buses also forces vehicles to drift towards the right, leading to a bottleneck.“It take me more than 15 minutes to cross the 500-metre stretch between C R Park and Chirag Dill daily and it’s worse if a vehicle breaks down on the flyover,“ said Amrita Roy , who works in Gurgaon.The bad news is that there is little relief t in sight. “With a Metro station coming up in the area, additional road space will be . required to accommodate feeders like autos and e-rickshaws. Either the road will have to be widened or a parallel flyover construct ed,“ said a PWD official. “With land acquisition rates having gone up, it has now become cheaper constructing a flyover rather than acquiring land which will anyway be difficult. On the other side of the road, towards GK-II, there is not land available.“

Source-http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/

Written by ITW Editor · Filed Under Flyovers, Traffic, Traffic Control, Traffic Management

DND objects to U-turn proposal, wants review

July 15, 2014

Neha Lalchandani,TNN |

NEW DELHI: The public works department’s plan to ease traffic movement near Delhi-Noida-Direct Flyway may be stalled for a few months. DND authorities have raised several concerns about the impact of the U-turn proposed at the mouth of the flyway at Ashram.

PWD, which has already got permission from UTTIPEC for the U-turn, had applied to DND for transfer of land. DND officials wrote to PWD on Tuesday after inspecting the site. They suggested that an independent traffic expert be jointly appointed for studying the project and coming up with alternatives as the current plan would result in a traffic nightmare.

“The U-turn is meant to benefit residents of Kilokri and nearby areas who want to travel across the road towards Maharani Bagh. They have to turn left at the start of the flyway towards Sarai Kale Khan, take a U-turn, get onto the Delhi connect of DND and emerge at Ashram, a route that easily takes 15 minutes, or more in case of a jam. The U-turn will cut this down to five minutes or so,” said a PWD source.

However, DND spokesman Anwer Abbasi says this U-turn will cause several bottlenecks. “A signal is needed to regulate the heavy traffic flow towards Ashram. When traffic from the Delhi-connect side is allowed to move, that coming from Noida has to wait, leading to a pile-up till Yamuna Bridge. If a U-turn is provided on this road, there would be a jam on the turn itself as well as on the road towards Noida,” he said.

Ashram Road has three lanes. Traffic is expected to back up as well, according to the DND administration, since the Delhi-connect road is three lanes and the flyway has four lanes. “In addition to the seven-lane traffic already opening into the three-lane road is a two-lane U-turn. There is no scope for widening Ashram Road with Maharani Bagh on one side and Kilokri on the other. PWD needs to devise a way of accommodating this traffic. Furthermore, Delhi Metro is carrying out work at Ashram Chowk till 2017 which will be another hindrance,” said Abbasi.

The other concern is traffic will clash on DND Flyway once Kalindi Bypass becomes operational. “The traffic using the bypass to go towards Noida will take a cut that will loop over DND about 200m from the entry point through a downward ramp. To build the U-turn, PWD proposes to shift the main carriageway towards Noida so that it forms a curve that follows the trajectory of Kalindi Bypass and connect it with the flyway at roughly the same point. This will also lead to a conflict in traffic since we expect the bypass to cater largely to heavy vehicles,” said Abbasi.

Source-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

Written by ITW Editor · Filed Under Flyovers

Nanjundapuram flyover works likely to be over by this month

July 8, 2014

M. SOUNDARIYA PREETHA

The Hindu The road work for the bridge across the railway gate on

Nanjundapuram road is yet to be completed. Photo: S. Siva Saravanan

The contractor has paid Rs. 17 lakh penalty

Works for a bridge across the railway line on Nanjundapuram road are expected to be completed by the end of this month, according to an official of the State Highways Department.

The official told The Hindu that the bridge works are over, and the road — 150 metres on one side and 90 metres on the other — needs to be completed. The total cost for the road work is Rs. 40 lakh.

The contractor has paid Rs. 17 lakh penalty so far for delay in completing the works. Land acquisition has been completed for the road works.

The project is getting delayed because of financial problems for the contractor. It was expected to be completed in last month.

The cost for the project was fixed in 2009-10 and the contractor is incurring loss now because the costs have gone up. If the works are not completed by the end of this month, the department will look at cancelling the contract, the official said.

The Rs. 12.6-crore project involves construction of 693 metre, two-lane bridge. It includes 337.75 metre road on the Ramanathapuram side and 317.26 metre road on the Podanur side.

Works started more than two years ago and land acquisition was completed in August last year. The works were expected to be completed by December, 2013.

Source-http://www.thehindu.com/

Written by ITW Editor · Filed Under Flyovers

Flyover Ease is Here

March 12, 2014

By Express News Service – BHUBANESWAR

Traffic woes along National Highway-5 in the Capital City are set to be alleviated as the flyovers on one of the busiest thoroughfares in the State are likely to be thrown open for use by the end of March.

Of five flyovers being constructed by the NHAI, four at Vani Vihar, Acharya Vihar, CRPF Square and Fire Station Square are on the verge of completion. The commissioning of the flyovers is expected to commence from the third week of this month. The Rasulgarh project, though, has fallen behind on account of land acquisition process and is targeted to be completed by July.

The flyovers will also be complemented by the one at Phulnakhara and the new bridge on Mahanadi river which will drastically reduce commuting time for passengers not only within the Capital but also to Cuttack and onwards.

Executed by the Shree Jagannath Expressways Pvt Ltd (SJEPL), the NHAI flyover projects at the four points of Vani Vihar, Acharya Vihar, CRPF Square and Fire Station span 130 metres each. They have been constructed at a cost of `10.85 crore each. The Phulnakhara flyover extends over 180 metre and is built at a cost of `14.92 crore.

The NHAI had started the projects in January, 2012 to cover a distance of 67 km along Bhubaneswar-Cuttack-Chandikhol stretch. The highway development entails construction of seven flyovers with four lanes along with bridges over Mahanadi, Kathjodi, Kuakhai and Birupa rivers with a total project cost of `1500 crore.

According to sources, the flyovers have been completed before the deadline of 2014-end. The project execution has been expedited by the use of pre-cast concrete in segmental casting technology. In the method, the concrete segments are built off-site and are brought to the site for joining.

While overcoming the space constraints at the project location, the method also saves a lot of time and reduces chances of accidents and other traffic-related issues, sources said.

The new bridge on the Mahanadi will also be opened by the first week of April that will enable linking and commissioning of the Jagatpur flyover.

The bridge, which would be the third on the river, has been constructed at a cost of `120 crore within a period of three years. It will have three lanes and facilitate onward movement of traffic from Cuttack to Chandikhol. The existing two bridges with four lanes will be used for downward traffic to Cuttack.

Work on the new bridges on Kathajodi, Birupa and Kuakhai are progressing satisfactorily. They will also have three lanes but will be used for downward traffic from to Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, sources said.

Source-http://www.newindianexpress.com/

Written by ITW Editor · Filed Under Flyovers

Interchange with flyovers to end woes at Dumad crossroads

December 13, 2013

TNN |

VADODARA: Motorists will no longer have to face the nightmare when they reach the Dumad crossroads on the national highway in the city. The junction also lead to frequent accidents and figured in the list of places prone to accidents prepared by the city police.

The intersection on the national highway has roads leading to the city, Vadodara-Ahmedabad Expressway and the Savli road. Motorists had to be careful while negotiating the intersection due to traffic movement in multiple directions. The intersection was also a busy one and witnessed movement of heavy vehicles.

Officials at the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) said that the present ‘at grade’ junction will be completely done away with. An interchange with two integrating flyovers at Dumad and Vadodara has been planned to meet the growing traffic demands of people travelling from and to Savli, Vadodara, Ahmedabad and Surat directions at this junction.

The proposed flyover is having six arms and service roads are planned to get access to this interchange. Sources said that it was expected that the work would be completed within two years. The work is a part of the six laning of Ahmedabad-Vadodara Section of the NH-8.

Union minister of state for road transport and highways Dr Tushar Chaudhary will lay the foundation stone kicking off the work on the intersection. Chaudhary will also inaugurate and an electronic toll collection plaza at Vadodara toll booth of the Vadodara-Ahmedabad Expressway. Electronic toll collection is based on the Radio Frequency Identificaiton (RFID) technology.

A RFID tag that will essentially be a prepaid tag will be affixed in the upper central portion of the vehicle’s windscreen. It will work as a prepaid toll account and there will be automatic toll deduction when a vehicle crosses a toll plaza. The system was launched earlier this year at Mumbai.

Source-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Written by ITW Editor · Filed Under Flyovers

Peddar Road flyover to snake up to Girgaum Chowpatty

December 9, 2013

Agency: DNA

DNA Correspondent

Discarding Mumbai Transformation Support Unit’s (MTSU) plan for a shorter version of Peddar Road flyover covering only Cadbury Junction, Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) will go ahead with the Haji Ali-Girgaum Chowpatty version.

A senior MSRDC official said there was once a plan to erect a shorter flyover covering only Haji Ali and Cadbury junction. “But now we will go ahead with our original plan,” said the official.

As per the original plan, the length of the flyover was at 4.2km. It was to start near Haji Ali junction and end at Chowpatty (near Wilson College) to ease traffic between South Mumbai and suburbs.

In the shorter version, apart from bridging the northern end of this arterial road, there was work of traffic engineering. The idea was to have one-way roads on Babulnath–Sukhsagar-Girgaum Chowpatty route.

The Prempuri Ashram junction-Sukhsagar-Chowpatty route too was proposed to be one-way and a one-way has also been proposed on Chowpatty-Prempuri Ashram and Chowpatty- Reliance Jewels showroom.

Securing an NOC from the traffic cops will be a tough task over apprehension that during construction, it will lead to traffic chaos. So, alternative routes need to be identified.

The construction duration will be 18-24 months once the tender is awarded. At the moment, MSRDC has bids from private bidders.

The controversial project was conceived during the Shiv Sena-BJP rule between 1995 and 1999 when the then PWD minister Nitin Gadkari had come out with a ‘50 flyovers’ plan for Mumbai.

Since then it has faced stiff opposition from celebrity residents like Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle among other locals, making it one of the most delayed projects.

Source-http://www.dnaindia.com

Written by ITW Editor · Filed Under Flyovers

Contractor casualty in flyover cost row

December 6, 2013

A STAFF REPORTER

The state government has decided to cancel its contract with the private company building Calcutta’s longest flyover after one missed deadline and a cost-escalation claim that at least two agencies have independently endorsed.

Hindustan Construction Company (HCC), which was to complete the 8.14km Parama-Park Circus flyover this month, had submitted a cost-escalation estimate of Rs 230 crore more than a year ago. The project has progressed little since.

Sources said the finance department rejected the company’s demand for additional funds 10 days ago after a detailed review of the project.

“The contract will be scrapped and fresh bids invited soon,” urban development minister Firhad Hakim told Metro on Thursday.

Sources in the government said HCC was yet to be officially informed of the decision, a step the company might respond to with a claim for compensation from the Calcutta Metropolitan Development Authority.

Officials at HCC, which built Mumbai’s spectacular Bandra-Worli Sea Link, declined to comment on the development.

The company’s cost-escalation estimate was based on delays allegedly caused by the state’s failure to give timely possession of stretches of the flyover route from Parama, on the EM Bypass, to Park Circus.

In the first stage of the project, officially said to be “63 per cent complete”, there was a delay in getting police permission to start construction on some stretches. Shifting underground utilities of various agencies was also a hassle, sources said.

Work on the flyover that was originally scheduled to be completed in August 2012 now looks unlikely to start until at least the middle of next year.

“Before inviting fresh bids for the contract, a settlement has to be reached with HCC. The project would surely be delayed further if the company seeks compensation from the CMDA,” an official said.

A bigger challenge would be to find a firm that would quote an amount less than what HCC had sought. “The cost of materials has increased by much in the period when the decision on HCC’s demand for more funds was pending,” the official said.

The urban development department had selected HCC from among six bidders in 2009. Work on the project, a part of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, started in 2010 with a budget of Rs 318 crore.

CMDA, the implementing agency, had sanctioned Rs 170 crore by way of cost escalation in January after initially refusing to entertain any claim. But the finance department overrode the approval.

“Cost escalation had been calculated on the basis of work left and the price of materials at that point of time,” a CMDA official said.

In January, the state government appointed a committee headed by the then principal secretary of the PWD for a final evaluation. The committee recommended a survey by an independent consultant and Rites was hired for the task in August. The report by Rites, submitted before Durga Puja, recommended a cost-escalation payout of Rs 260 crore.

“Ten days back, the finance department decided that it was not viable to increase the project cost to that level,” the official said.

Metro had highlighted in October how a letter from the Prime Minister’s Office prompted the Union urban development ministry to seek an explanation from the Bengal government for allowing a 70 per cent increase in the cost of building the flyover.

Larsen & Toubro, which is building a 600-metre stretch of the flyover above Bridge No 4 in Park Circus, has also faced problems. The railways has agreed to cooperate but has yet to give permission for construction over the rail tracks.

Several other infrastructure projects in the city are stuck for various reasons.

CHOKER RALLIES

Three rallies and the President’s visit will disrupt traffic at the city centre on Friday. Metro prepares a traffic guide for the commuter.

Which events might affect traffic on Friday?

A Trinamul rally at the Red Road-Mayo Road crossing from 1pm. A Left Front rally at Shahid Minar from 5pm. Indian SC-ST Council will pay tribute to Ambedkar at his statue off Red Road at 10am. Cops expect the Trinamul and Left rallies to have a “turnout of about a lakh each”. The President’s convoy will leave RCTC around 1pm for the Assembly and travel
down Red Road.

Which roads will be the worst hit?

CR Avenue, SN Banerjee Road, Strand Road, Queensway, Red Road and JL Nehru Road.

Will traffic be restricted?

Vehicular movement may be restricted on Mayo Road, Red Road, Dufferin Road and JL Nehru Road.

How long will the disruptions last?

Traffic will be worst hit from 11am till the dispersal of LF supporters after 6pm.

Will traffic be diverted?

Mayo Road-bound vehicles may be diverted through Queensway, Kidderpore Road,
Dufferin Road and Outram Road.

Source-http://www.telegraphindia.com

Written by ITW Editor · Filed Under Flyovers

Noise barrier for Pedder Road flyover

December 5, 2013

TNN |

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation ( MSRDC) has been asked to take steps to curb noise, control air pollution and streamline traffic before work begins on the Pedder Road flyover. The suggestions were given by the expert appraisal committee (EAC) for projects related to infrastructure development, CRZ, at its 128 meeting on November 29. While recommending granting of Environmental clearance, the EAC stipulated conditions that will have to be fulfilled during the project work.The 4.2 km long Pedder Road Flyover is starting from North side of Haji Ali junction on Lala Lajpatrai Road and ends at Wilson Collegeon Girgaum Chowpatty.The present proposal is for adding additional four lanes on the existing corridor of Pedder Road. This will provide additional and faster vehicle movement for the southern and northern axis traffic.

This will facilitate easy movement of traffic below and over the flyover and which will reduce air and noise pollution in the corridor.

The EAC has stipulated that should install Noise Barrier System during construction and post construction phase on the alignment of the project. Also, thick vegetation cover should be wherever required for attenuation of noise.

It also asked that stationary construction equipment will be placed away from the habitation and asphalt and hot mix plants shall not be installed at site.

It said, “Noise generating construction activities like drilling, compacting etc. should be carried out only during day time in residential areas.

Besides construction contract specifications should specify use of less noise generating equipments

As regards air pollution, the EAC said, “Fugitive dust entertainment will be controlled by sprinkling water and eco gadgets like solar-powered city air purifiers shall be mounted on street light poles.”

In order to reduce congestion during the work, the EAC said, “The Project Proponent shall use Composite Structures for the construction of the flyover to tghe maximum possible extant. Construction material as well as excavated material should be disposed off or shifted only during the night time when the traffic will be much less. ”

For Construction of Super Structure Pre-cast Segmental construction technology would be adopted, while for in-situ construction, a movable Scaffold System construction method shall be adopted. Thus the construction of piles and substructure shall use only a small part of the lane for a few days, it pointed.

EAC also stipulated that adequate construction boards, portable traffic signs, Chevron Signs, Road Marker Signs, Central lights & linkers on Barricades, etc will be put-up uniformly across near the construction and barricading all along the effective stretch of the proposed road.

Source-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Written by ITW Editor · Filed Under Flyovers, Tech

Fresh hope for Sadar flyover, Mominpura railway underbridge

December 3, 2013

Anjaya Anparthi,TNN |

NAGPUR: After lying in cold storage for over five years, there is fresh hope for the proposed flyover on busy Residency Road at Sadar, the railway underbridge (RuB) at Mominpura and a bridge on Nag River at Yashwant stadium. The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) standing committee on Monday passed a proposal to appoint project management consultant to prepare a revised detailed project report (DPR) for these projects.Central government’s nodal agency Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) had asked the civic body to submit a revised DPR of Sadar flyover, Mominpura RuB and the Nag River bridge. The projects may be approved under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) scheme if everything goes well this time. The standing committee has approved the proposal to appoint Creations Engineers Private Limited for preparing the revised DPR at the cost of Rs37.07 lakh.

The standing committee also approved the proposal to sanction Rs42,000 for repairing of old Jaripatka RoB. The railways is executing the works and asked for an additional Rs42,000 against P&E charges. Earlier, the original cost was Rs25, 46,178, but it has been increased to Rs25,88,178.

24×7 tax collection

In another significant development, the standing committee also approved a proposal to establish 24×7 tax cash collection system at zone offices.

Standing committee chairman Avinash Thakre said property taxpayers can deposit the tax amount in cash at the system round the clock. “It will be like an ATM machine and generate receipt after payment. Citizens will have to log in with the help of an index number. One machine each will be installed at all 10 zone offices. NMC will spend Rs30 lakh on this project. The system will be installed within a month,” he said.

On the proposal to hike property tax mutation charges, Thakre said directives have been given to take legal advice on the proposal. “Proposed charges are based on slab system. There is confusion whether such system can be introduced. Decision will be taken after receiving the legal advice,” he said.

Other decisions

In another development, the standing committee directed the administration to issue birth and death certificates free of cost to citizens under BPL category. “The proposal to hike charges for rest of the citizens has been kept pending due to absence of concerned official,” Thakre said.

On road works, Thakre said the project cost will go up by 21%. “The NMC revised the common schedule of rates (CSR) by 19% while the contractors quoted 2% and above. However, the good thing is that the dispute between the contractors and administration has been resolved paving way for commencement of asphalting of roads. The standing committee on Monday also approved road works of around Rs7 crore,” he said.

On the stalemate over formation of a committee to expedite the process for the proposed Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Memorial near Yashwant Stadium in Dhantoli, the standing committee said it has recommended that its two members be accommodated on the panel. Former mayor and BJP corporator Maya Iwnate and BSP corporator Kishor Gajbhiye are likely to join the committee after general body’s nod. NMC sources said the proposed project has been stuck since long due to the race among corporators to become member of the committee.

Source-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Written by ITW Editor · Filed Under Flyovers, Underbridge