New Delhi, October 7 (Daily Kiran) : The recent launch of the Barapulla Phase-3 corridor in New Delhi has sparked political tensions due to traffic congestion and slow vehicle movement. On Wednesday, Delhi’s Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Pravesh Verma attributed these issues to the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, stating that critical design decisions were made during their tenure. The current administration is now working on both immediate and long-term solutions to address the traffic problems.
Following reports of slow traffic and congestion on the newly opened corridor, the Delhi Traffic Police sent a letter to the PWD highlighting various deficiencies. They proposed several modifications to improve traffic flow along the corridor.
During a press conference, Verma noted that the government had been monitoring traffic conditions on the corridor since the day after its inauguration. He criticized the opposition for questioning the government without acknowledging that the corridor’s design was approved during the AAP’s administration.
“The Aam Aadmi Party excels at turning lies into truth. They have no equal when it comes to presenting falsehoods as facts,” he asserted.
Verma claimed that the Barapulla Phase-3 project began in 2015, with its design approved in 2014-15 when AAP was in power. Decisions regarding the number of lanes and other significant design aspects were also made during that period.
He mentioned that after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took power in February 2025, he inspected the Barapulla flyover, which was largely completed by that time. Out of a total of 298 pillars required for the flyover, 288—approximately 80 percent—were built before the BJP assumed office.
Discussing the project’s costs, Verma stated that the initial estimated budget in 2014-15 was ₹1,057 crores. The construction company later submitted a bid of ₹964 crores. Work commenced on April 28, 2015, with a completion target of 30 months, but the project has faced delays of nearly nine years.
He alleged that these delays have resulted in significant financial losses for the government and taxpayers. Before the BJP took office, the contractor received two cost escalations totaling ₹76.51 crores, and a claim for ₹44 crores was made under the contract’s arbitration provisions.
Verma also questioned the two-lane design of the Barapulla Phase-3 corridor, suggesting that it should have been planned with future traffic growth in mind. He pointed out that the DND Flyway and Delhi-Meerut Expressway are considerably wider, raising concerns about the adequacy of the two-lane structure over the Yamuna River.
He emphasized that infrastructure projects funded by approximately ₹1,000 crores of public money should be designed to meet the needs of the coming decades, based on forecasts of traffic and population growth.
Despite these challenges, Verma assured that the current government is actively working to resolve traffic issues. Proposed measures include creating a new U-turn, exploring the addition of an extra lane, and modifying major merging points. Discussions are also underway with Google to provide real-time traffic updates.
He reported that work has already begun based on recommendations from the Delhi Traffic Police and consultants, with improvements expected within the next 10 to 15 days.
The traffic police have suggested redesigning the merging point near Sundarijal Park and establishing a dedicated U-turn near Gurudwara Bala Sahib. They also identified inconsistencies in lane capacity and merging point design as major contributors to congestion.
The Barapulla Phase-3 flyover, constructed at a cost of approximately ₹1,635 crores, connects Mayur Vihar Phase-1 on the Noida Link Road to Sarai Kale Khan on the Ring Road. It integrates with the existing Barapulla network, forming a signal-free route of about 10 kilometers to AIIMS Roundabout.
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