Second approach to airport via Vasant Kunj awaits LG nod

Looking to construct a fast second approach to the airport from south Delhi, Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung may soon give his nod to widen Mehrauli-Mahipalpur Road, which goes up to the Indira Gandhi International Airport, at a cost of Rs 44 crore. 

The existing approach to the airport from the Outer Ring Road is infamous for jams at the Rao Tula Ram (RTR) Marg flyover in Vasant Vihar area.

While the Delhi government has planned another parallel flyover to the existing RTR flyover, the widening of the Mehrauli-Mahipalpur Road is likely to offer some relief in the immediate future to the flyers.

The road, which goes from Mehrauli to the airport through Masoodpur and Mahipalpur, is to be converted from 35-metre wide road to a 70-metre wide highway. 

According to Public Works Department (PWD) officials, the working group of Unified Traffic and Transport Infrastructure (Planning and Engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC) has cleared the Mehrauli-Mahipalpur Road project. The committee, headed by PWD Secretary Arun Baroka, also has officers from other departments.

A Delhi government official said, “The go-ahead by UTTIPEC is a welcome development as it had earlier gone slow on this ambitious project due to opposition by some residents. Once the road widening is completed, it could also be used as another highway to approach Gurgaon.” 

The work on the project was earlier stopped in February 2013, within a month of its start, due to opposition by some activists to felling of trees. However, officials restarted discussions on the project after another group of activists from Vasant Kunj came forward to demand the revival of the project. “The group favouring the new highway claimed that the widened highway would develop the entire area and improve access to Vasant Kunj residential zone,” said an official.

The group of activists opposing the project alleged that the PWD felled nearly 40 trees without seeking permission from the agencies concerned. The matter was then brought to the notice of the Lieutenant Governor who asked the UTTIPEC to look into the matter. The UTTIPEC, after an initial halt in work, has now paved the way for re-starting the development work.