The 3.5-km elevated corridor connecting East and South Delhi has been completed by the Public Works Department (PWD) after nearly a decade of delays. According to reports, the PWD has finished all major civil works, including final deck slab casting, viaduct construction, safety installations, lighting, and finishing works. The department has written to Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta to finalise the date for the formal inauguration, which is expected to take place in August 2026.
The completed corridor will provide a signal-free connection between Mayur Vihar Phase-I in East Delhi and AIIMS in South Delhi through Sarai Kale Khan. As reported, once operational, the route is expected to reduce travel time between East and South Delhi to around 15 minutes while easing congestion on major roads. The corridor will allow commuters to bypass heavily congested stretches, including NH-24, the DND Flyway, Ring Road, and the Sarai Kale Khan junction, improving traffic movement towards central Delhi.
The project, which was approved in 2014 with construction beginning in 2015, faced prolonged delays due to land acquisition issues, contractual disputes, technical challenges, environmental clearances, and administrative hurdles. According to Hindustan Times, the project cost increased significantly from the original estimate of ₹964 crore to around ₹1,330 crore, with other estimates placing the revised cost at approximately ₹1,635 crore. The project also faced difficulties during final stages, including supply disruptions of construction materials and seasonal labor shortages.
After years of delays, over 400 workers were deployed during the final phase to complete the remaining works. As reported, the corridor is expected to reduce dependence on congested surface roads and provide smoother movement for thousands of daily commuters. The Delhi government is coordinating the inauguration of the Barapullah Phase-III corridor along with another completed infrastructure project, the Mukarba Chowk underpass.
