New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugrated the main tunnel and five additional underpasses constructed under Pragati Maidan Integrated Transit Corridor project in the national capital, news agency ANI reported.
After unvieling the tunnel, PM Modi also inspected the project. While appreciating the corridor, PM Modi said, "Delhi has received a beautiful infrastructure gift from Centre."
The Pragati Maidan tunnel, according to Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, is "a first of its type subterranean corridor in the country and an engineering marvel."
Pragati Maidan Tunnel
The 1.6-kilometer-long Pragati Maidan tunnel would be Delhi's first, connecting commuters from east Delhi, Noida, and Ghaziabad to India Gate and other central Delhi regions.
It begins from the Purana Qila Road near the National Sports Complex of India (NSCI) and continues beneath the renovated Pragati Maidan to the Ring Road near the Pragati Power Station.
It would provide e-signal-free access to India Gate, the Supreme Court, and Mathura Road for cars travelling from Noida, Ghaziabad, and east Delhi.
The murals within the tunnel depict Indian culture, birds, and the six seasons in various sections of the nation, ranging from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.
The tunnel and five underpasses are part of the Pragati Maidan Integrated Transit Corridor project, which cost more than 920 crore and was wholly funded by the national government.
The tunnel's construction began in March 2018 and was planned to be finished in September 2019. However, because to the complexity of the building work, the deadline was pushed back to June 2020. Due to the COVID-19 shutdown, it was later put back to December 2020, and then again to March 2022.
According to authorities, the tunnel and underpasses would increase access to the newly refurbished Pragati Maidan in addition to reducing traffic circulation in the ITO region.
Pragati Maidan now has distinct access and departure points from the tunnel and underpasses on Bhairon Marg. The long-awaited tunnel will serve as an alternate route to Bhairon Marg, which is far above its carriage capacity, and is estimated to carry more than half of Bhairon Marg's traffic load. To alleviate concerns about waterlogging, the PWD official stated that seven underground sumps had been built to mechanically collect and drain storm water.
"This corridor is expected to reduce around 16,000 ton CO2 and save environment," he said.
Highlighting the obstacles while constructing the corridor, PM Modi said, "This project had to undergo several obstacles including COVID...And then there's no dearth of people in our country who knock on Judiciary's door, disrupt the process of such projects but we made it through."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also said that the central government's efforts are transforming the face of Delhi and modernising it.