New Delhi: The city’s plan to decongest one of the busiest stretches of Outer Ring Road in south Delhi may need a design rethink, with Delhi Traffic Police warning that the proposed extension of the Modi Mill flyover up to Kalkaji could end up shifting congestion rather than eliminating it.In a letter dated Aug 19 to the executive engineer of Public Works Department’s (PWD) flyover project division, the traffic police has recommended that the proposed infrastructure be extended beyond Modi Mill to the Savitri Cinema flyover, rather than ending it at the existing Kalkaji flyover.The concern centres on the bottleneck near Bhairon Mandir and the CNG pump stations close to Kalkaji temple. According to the letter, ending the elevated stretch at the Kalkaji flyover could funnel traffic into this already constrained section, aggravating congestion.Extending the flyover will create a more continuous elevated corridor between Modi Mill and the stretch beyond Kalkaji, the traffic police has stated. It has also recommended constructing flyovers at the Kalkaji and Savitri Cinema intersections to facilitate movement from Chirag Dilli towards Modi Mill.The traffic police has sought a joint site inspection with PWD officials to assess existing traffic conditions, the likely impact of the proposed extension, and the engineering and traffic-management measures required before the project is finalised. The inspection will especially assess whether extending the elevated corridor can provide smoother and more continuous traffic movement.The recommendation comes as PWD is already working on a major overhaul of the corridor to decongest Outer Ring Road between Modi Mill and IIT Gate, which carries more than two lakh vehicles daily, according to officials.The traffic police’s latest recommendation underlines the need to eliminate congestion at one junction without creating another bottleneck immediately downstream. It has also requested that the matter be accorded “top priority”, signalling the urgency to resolve the design issue before construction, which has already started, progresses.The emphasis on a continuous elevated corridor is also supported by road engineering experts. S Velmurugan, senior adviser at National Council of Applied Economic Research, said, “Providing full connectivity is better than a piecemeal scheme. If you have one flyover, come down and then have to take another, it does not really serve the purpose. If you are creating an elevated corridor, it is better to provide continuity over a longer stretch.”According to PWD, the current project has a sanctioned cost of Rs 325.4 crore and a timeline of 24 months. The plan includes extending the Modi Mill flyover towards Kalkaji and upgrading the Savitri Cinema and Kalkaji intersections. PWD has awarded the work.
