The Old RTR Flyover carriageway carrying traffic from IGI Airport towards Vasant Vihar may reopen on Monday after repairs to two cracks, subject to a safety inspection by Delhi Public Works Department (PWD) and traffic police officials on Sunday.
The carriageway was closed after cracks appeared at two locations on its surface on Wednesday. The damage affected several vehicles, with reports of tyres being damaged, prompting Delhi Traffic Police to alert the PWD and the agency to begin repair work immediately.
A new concrete slab has been constructed over the damaged section. Officials said the slab had nearly dried by Saturday, but the final decision on reopening will be taken only after its condition and safety standards are assessed during the inspection.
Delhi Traffic Police DCP Vikas Kumar said the repair work had been completed and that officials would inspect the flyover and assess its strength on Sunday. If the structure is found suitable, the closed carriageway will be opened to traffic on Monday.
The closure has placed additional pressure on roads connecting the airport, Gurugram and southern Delhi. On Saturday, the fourth day of the closure, traffic moved slowly between APS Colony and Vasant Vihar as vehicles diverted towards alternative routes. Congestion was also reported on the Dhaula Kuan route, the Mehrauli-Gurugram Road and the Dwarka Expressway. Drivers travelling between Gurugram or the airport and southern Delhi spent between one and one-and-a-half hours in traffic, according to the report.
The Old RTR Flyover was built in 2010. The PWD has decided to commission a structural audit of the entire flyover after the cracks appeared. A consultant has been appointed to examine the reasons for the damage, assess other sections of the flyover and evaluate its load-bearing capacity. The cause of the cracks has not yet been established, and officials said the audit would provide a clearer assessment.
Traffic conditions in parts of north Delhi are also expected to be affected on Sunday because of a religious programme in Ghoga village. Delhi Traffic Police has warned of possible disruption between Ghoga Chowk and Parshuram Dwar, on the Narela-Bawana Road between the DSIIDC area and Bawana Canal, and on Swami Swaroopanand Marg between Ramdev Chowk and Munim Ka Bagh. Diversions may be introduced at Ghoga Chowk, Bawana JJ Colony, Ghoga entry gate, Ghoga Firni Road and Harewali toll if traffic conditions require them.
The next scheduled step for the Old RTR Flyover is the joint inspection by PWD and traffic police officials on Sunday, after which the decision on reopening the airport-to-Vasant Vihar carriageway will be taken.
