The doubling of Delhi’s Savitri Cinema Flyover in South Delhi is expected to begin this week after construction was deferred during the festival season, a move aimed at improving traffic flow on the Outer Ring Road and reducing recurring congestion near the flyover.
The Public Works Department will close the U-turn beneath the flyover as part of the construction process. The department had begun preparatory work, including closing the U-turn and starting excavation, but paused the activity because traffic could have been affected during Navratri and Durga Puja, when movement increases around CR Park and neighbouring areas.
The Savitri Cinema Flyover was built in 2001 as a single carriageway. At present, it is used by vehicles travelling from Nehru Place towards Indira Gandhi International Airport. Vehicles travelling from the airport towards Nehru Place, Govindpuri, Ambedkar Nagar and Mehrauli do not receive the same flyover access and have to use the road below the structure.
That arrangement concentrates traffic on the road near Savitri Cinema, where the available road width is limited. According to the report, congestion intensifies when vehicle volumes rise, disrupting traffic movement and resulting in jams that can extend for several kilometres.
To address the bottleneck, a second flyover will be built parallel to the existing structure. The additional carriageway is intended to provide flyover access for traffic moving in the opposite direction and reduce the volume of vehicles using the road-level section below the current flyover.
The timing of the work had also triggered objections from local residents, who were concerned that closing the U-turn during the festival period would worsen traffic around CR Park and adjoining neighbourhoods. Construction was subsequently postponed during the festivals. The project is now expected to move forward this week, with the U-turn closure forming part of the next phase of preparatory activity.
