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Delhi: Mayapuri flyover partially shut, repair work underway

The Public Works Department (PWD) has partially shut the Mayapuri flyover in west Delhi for repairs, the Delhi Traffic Police said on Sunday — a move that will further exacerbate the traffic snarls on and along the Outer Ring Road in this part of the city.
The traffic police, in an advisory, said that half of the carriageway from Raja Garden to Naraina will remain closed for commuters for 30 days. This is the second phase of the project — earlier, the Naraina to Raja Garden carriageway was shut for repairs on September 6, and has now been opened for traffic.
The flyover will never be shut completely as one lane of the carriageway under repairs will be open for traffic, PWD officials said.
“This model was used for repairs on the Chirag Delhi flyover, and has since become a standard procedure — only one lane will be blocked at a time to reduce congestion issues, and after work is done on one lane, we will start the other,” an official said, requesting anonymity.
The partial closure of the flyover to fix expansion joints is likely to affect vehicular movement in areas such as Punjabi Bagh, Rajouri Garden, Tagore Garden, Mayapuri, and Raja Garden, traffic police officers said.
The new project is also likely to increase the travel time for people commuting between north and west Delhi, and ongoing work on the Punjabi Bagh flyover, the development of the Mukarba Chowk underpass, and Metro construction work around Madhuband Chowk is set to guarantee that traffic will crawl on this part of the Outer Ring Road.
A traffic police officer said that the commuters coming from Raja Garden and Punjabi Bagh and going towards Dhaula Kuan and Naraina can take service roads to bypass the Mayapuri flyover. “Take Najafgarh Road from Raja Garden Chowk till Moti Nagar Chowk then take Patel Road till Shadipur Chowk, and then Loha Mandi, Naraina, Ring Road. Commuters are requested to cooperate by avoiding/bypassing the affected road, and make maximum use of public transport to ensure a pleasant journey,” the officer said.
The traffic police also advised commuters to avoid roadside parking, noting that it causes a hindrance in the normal flow of traffic. A second officer said: “We will deploy traffic personnel in adequate numbers to help motorists and avoid traffic snarls.”
Commuters, meanwhile, said that their travel time has significantly worsened.
Anuj Sachdeva, a resident of Punjabi Bagh, said residents of the area have faced the brunt of the traffic mess over the last year. “Delays in the construction of the Punjabi Bagh flyover have created a major congestion node, and it takes 30-50 minutes to cross this stretch during the evening. Why can’t agencies schedule their work based on the ground situation?” he said.
Bhaskar Sharma, another commuter, said the Dussehra festivities have further worsened the snarls. “Not a single traffic police officer is seen around Punjabi Bagh Chowk and Bharat Darshan Park to manage traffic. It’s a complete mess due to buses and trucks,” he added.

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