This year no new flyovers TNN, Mar 23, 2010,

NEW DELHI: It seems Delhi has built too many new flyovers in the run-up to the Games. That’s why, no new flyover has been sanctioned in the budget 2010-11 except the revived Signature Bridge project on Yamuna with an investment of Rs 1131 crore.

In his budget speech, finance minister AK Walia said work on the bridge will start soon and work on the access roads for the bridge, including a flyover on Outer Ring Road at Wazirabad, is already in progress. He added that all crucial road projects, including Barapulla Nallah, Ring Road bypass and Ghazipur flyover, will be completed before the Games. The government claimed to have invested Rs 5,646 crore on 26 flyovers and on overbridges and underbridgers for rail and road.

For a city that has earned the dubious distinction of a high number of pedestrian deaths on roads, the minister said a ‘massive’ programme for construction of foot overbridges (FOBs) has been undertaken.

Government claimed while 31 such foot overbridges have already been completed, 26 more will be operational before the Games.

Walia claimed that parking lots over Kushak nallah, Sunehri Bagh nallah and DPS Mathura Road nallah will be completed before the Games. Another massive parking lot is coming up close to IP power station along Ring Road. The total cost of these projects is estimated to be Rs 473 crore.

Similarly, the ongoing streetlight work worth Rs 198 crore will be completed before the Games, he asserted.