The Unified Traffic & Transportation Infrastructure (Planning & Engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC), headed by Delhi lieutenant governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu, has approved multimodal integration (MMI) plans for six Metro stations and two major road projects, including a proposed 5.5-km elevated corridor in south Delhi.

The plans, prepared by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), cover GTB Nagar, Sarita Vihar, Akshardham, Rohini West and Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital, Malviya Nagar, and Shastri Park stations. They assess areas within a 300-metre radius of each station and include measures to improve pedestrian movement, last-mile connectivity, walkability and access to public transport.

The approvals were granted at UTTIPEC’s 70th governing body meeting, attended by officials from the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Delhi government, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Delhi Traffic Police, DMRC, Public Works Department (PWD), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), Indian Railways and the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC). With the latest clearances, all 31 MMI plans prepared by DMRC for Phase I and II Metro corridors in Delhi have been approved.

One of the road projects is a six-lane elevated corridor on Maa Anandmayee Marg between the Outer Ring Road and Mehrauli-Badarpur Road. The 5.5-km corridor will bypass 12 busy intersections. An underpass and a roundabout at the Crowne Plaza intersection on Okhla Estate Marg have also been approved to address congestion linked to traffic from the Okhla Phase I and II industrial areas.

The elevated road is intended to create more surface-level space for pedestrians and non-motorised transport. UTTIPEC also approved widening the operational road overbridge on the Outer Ring Road at Mukarba Chowk from six lanes to 10 lanes, along with a four-lane bridge connecting Jahangirpuri Industrial Area with Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar across the Delhi-Sonepat railway line.

The new bridge is expected to divert around 20 per cent of vehicular traffic currently passing through Mukarba Chowk and ease congestion on National Highway 44. The respective agencies will now take the projects through further planning and implementation stages.