Loni underpass delayed, wait 1.5 years more for traffic relief

Hurdles hit key project

- Paras Singh

NEW DELHI: Commuters travelling from Signature Bridge towards Ghaziabad and facing daily traffic snarls at the Loni roundabout may have to endure the chaos for at least another 1.5 years. Work on the Loni underpass project — critical to easing congestion on this route — has yet to begin more than two and a half years after receiving government approval and funding.

The ₹70-crore project, announced by the Delhi government in September 2022 as part of efforts to make the Signature Bridge to Ghaziabad stretch signal-free, remains mired in delays caused by encroachments, tree cutting, and utility relocations. Despite earlier promises that the underpass would be ready by December 2024, the public works department (PWD) now says it will take 15 months just to complete construction after the site is cleared.