New Delhi: The Pragati Maidan tunnel in Delhi is slated to open to the public today. PM Modi will unveil the main tunnel and five additional underpasses today at 10:30 a.m, news agency ANI reported.
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.
(With ANI Inputs)