Delhi’s Public Works Department has ordered safety audits of 17 flyovers built before 2004 after cracks were found on the Rao Tula Ram Flyover in south Delhi, forcing the closure of the structure to traffic. The inspections will assess the current condition of the older flyovers and identify requirements for repairs, strengthening and other corrective work.
The audit follows the discovery of at least three cracks on the main carriageway of the Rao Tula Ram Flyover on October 20. The incident led authorities to stop traffic on the flyover, highlighting the operational and safety risks associated with ageing elevated road infrastructure in a city dependent on flyovers to manage major traffic corridors.
According to the report, the PWD has directed officials to examine all flyovers constructed before 2004 to determine whether similar problems exist elsewhere. The department will use technical testing to assess the present condition of each structure before deciding what work is required.
The list includes the ITO Flyover, built in 1982, and the IIT Flyover, built in 1992. Other structures included for inspection are the Andrews Ganj, Nehru Place, Savitri Cinema, Raja Garden and Safdarjung-AIIMS flyovers. Several other flyovers constructed between 2001 and 2004 will also be examined.
The department is understood to be concerned about possible deterioration in expansion joints and bearings at multiple locations. These components allow bridge structures to accommodate movement and transfer loads, and their condition is an important part of the technical assessment of older flyovers. The supplied report does not establish that all 17 structures currently have safety defects; the audit is intended to determine their condition.
A senior PWD official cited in the report said that, apart from the previous one-and-a-half years, the preceding decade had not seen maintenance work on flyovers carried out according to requirements. The department has therefore directed a survey of all older flyovers rather than limiting its response to the Rao Tula Ram structure.
The decision places maintenance at the centre of Delhi’s flyover safety system. These structures are exposed to continuous traffic loads and form part of routes connecting key residential, commercial, institutional and employment areas. Any repair-related closure can affect traffic movement well beyond the immediate location, while delayed intervention can increase the difficulty and cost of corrective work.
The PWD’s next step is to complete technical inspections and use the findings to determine where repairs, strengthening or other improvements are needed. The supplied report does not provide a completion deadline for the audits, details of traffic arrangements at each flyover or a schedule for remedial work. Those decisions are expected to follow the department’s assessment of the structures.
