Delhi: Sultanpuri underpass to be opened on Monday
Officials said the project has been under construction for 13 years
The Sultanpuri underpass project in northwest Delhi, that has been under construction for nearly 13 years, is complete and will be inaugurated by the mayor on Monday, said officials of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Saturday.
Delhi mayor Shelly Oberoi said that as soon as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) came to power in MCD, the Sultanpuri flyover and underpass projects have been a focus area. The work on Sultanpuri underpass, or rail underbridge (RUB), and flyover, or rail overbridge (ROB), started in 2010, officials said.
“The previous government could not get the underpass and flyover constructed in these 13 years. Due to this, the public faced much trouble commuting and there were long traffic jams. But as soon as the AAP government was formed in MCD, the funds were released and the underpass work was completed within five months,” said Oberoi.
Oberoi said that this would help thousands of people living in the vicinity of Sultanpuri, including parts of Rohini, Nangloi and Kirari. She added that she also inspected the project twice in the last five months since the new administration came to power.
Officials said that to go from Nangloi to Sultanpuri, people had to go around Peeragarhi, which can now be avoided, and over half-an-hour of travel time will be saved.
While the underbridge will cater to light vehicles, the overbridge will be used by heavy motor vehicles. Officials said that the work for the ROB is also nearly complete and that is also expected to be inaugurated soon.
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said that the project was envisioned during the party's tenure in MCD and that the pace slowed down due to denial of funds by the Delhi government, ruled by AAP.
“Now it is shocking to see mayor Shelly Oberoi trying to seek credit for it. Mayor should know the contractor completed the work in March this year before her election,” said Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor.