(This story originally appeared in on Jan 10, 2018)

NEW DELHI: The Public Works Department (PWD) plans to build a 13-km elevated corridor along the Yamuna — between Signature Bridge near North Delhi’s Wazirabad and Kalindi Kunj bypass in the south — in an attempt to decongest Ring Road and Outer Ring Road.The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has given it the go-ahead after studying a pre-feasibility study, a PWD official said.TOI had reported the department’s preliminary plans in its August 4, 2017, edition.In the first phase of the project, the elevated road, starting from Signature Bridge, will be merged with Salimgarh Bypass (Ring Road bypass). In the second part, it will be extended to the Delhi Noida Delhi (DND) Flyway and Kalindi Kunj bypass.The corridor will run parallel to the existing Outer Ring Road near Majnu Ka Tila and the Ring Road near Sarai Kale Khan.The estimated cost of the project is Rs 2,200 crore and the city government is exploring the possibility of executing it on a public-private partnership model.The elevated corridor will be connected to all the eight bridges over the Yamuna as it passes through the city.PWD to appoint consultant to carry out feasibility study on elevated roadThese are Signature bridge, Old Iron bridge, Geeta Colony, Vikas Marg, Nizammudin bridge, Barapullah Phase-III, DND flyway and Kalindi bypass) constructed over the river as it passes through the capital.The PWD is in the process of appointing a consultant to do a feasibility study and prepare a detailed project report. The report will be then submitted to Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning & Engineering) Centre and other agencies for approval. Tenders for hiring the consultant will be floated by January end.“The consultant will conduct the feasibility study, prepare the detailed design plan for the corridor and its integration with other roads. Loops have to be planned for connecting the corridor with various bridges on the river,” said an official. The consultant will also explore the possibility of constructing a doubledecker elevated corridor wherein a cycle track can be constructed under the elevated corridor for vehicular traffic.The project was conceived after Delhi LG Anil Baijal asked the PWD to find solutions to the congestion problem on the Outer Ring Road between Wazirabad and Salimgarh bypass. The traffic volume will increase manifold on the two ring roads near Kashmiri Gate and Sarai Kale Khan once the construction of Signature Bridge and NH-24 expansion are completed. National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), which is carrying out the NH-24 widening work, has already informed PWD that the existing Ring Road infrastructure can’t take the increase in load.Traffic police has been expressing concerns about increase in traffic volume in the area around ISBT Kashmiri gate. PWD already had planned to construct two flyovers at Majnu Ka Tilla and Metcalfe house. “The two projects have been approved by UTTIPEC. We are waiting for financial approval for them,” said an official.