Pending work at Pragati Maidan corridor to restart soon: Verma

The Public Works Department (PWD) of Delhi is all set to resume work on the final pending underpass of the Pragati Maidan Integrated Transit Corridor, once the centre grants approval, Minister Parvesh Verma said on Monday.

According to Delhi’s PWD minister Verma, “We’ve completed all technical reviews and submitted the proposal for final approval to the Centre. As soon as we receive the go-ahead, we will resume work after the monsoon. This last underpass is vital for decongesting traffic around Pragati Maidan, and we are fully committed to completing it at the earliest.”

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While speaking to reporters following the inspection, Verma informed that during the flood earlier, work on this under-construction underpass was halted, but now studies have been conducted on this part of the project and the reports have been submitted to the concerned departments.

“We consulted top institutions like IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, and CBRI to find a viable and safe solution. Based on their recommendations, we have proposed a switch to the cast-in-situ construction method, which avoids disturbing the railway tracks and minimizes ground risks,” Verma said.

The engineering challenges, combined with the sensitivity of working under live railway lines, demanded expert intervention, he said.
Precautions have been taken to prevent water from entering this place, in case there is a flood like situation, Verma added.

“As soon as we have clearance from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the construction will begin and it will likely be completed in eight to nine months,” he said.

However, under the revised plans, the width of the passage will reduce from 11.5 metres to 6.25 metres, and its height will reduce from 5.5 metres to 3.9 metres, which means that the underpass will now be restricted to light motor vehicles only, and will operate as a two-lane corridor instead of the originally planned three lanes.

Replying to a question over the delays in the project during the previous government’s tenure, Verma said that earlier there was no follow up, and they did not even put much thought and efforts on completing works.

Currently, due to the incomplete underpass, traffic is being managed with temporary diversions and barricading, leading to severe congestion near Ring Road, Bhairon Marg, and Sarai Kale Khan. Once completed, this stretch will provide a dedicated, uninterrupted flow of traffic in both directions.

“Our objective is simple — to deliver world-class infrastructure while ensuring safety and long-term durability. We are ready to move as soon as the approval arrives,” Verma emphasized.

He also mentioned that the pending work of Barapullah will also soon be started as the permissions regarding some trees will be coming shortly, that was the road block in completion of the project.

The Pragati Maidan transit corridor, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi back in the year 2022, was designed to ease traffic congestion on arterial roads like Ring Road, Mathura Road, and Bhairon Marg, and improve access to the Pragati Maidan exhibition complex.