2 min readNew DelhiMay 6, 2026 09:03 PM IST
After several missed deadlines and delays, the last leg of the Pragati Maidan Integrated Transit Corridor — Bhairon Marg Underpass 5 — which passes beneath an active railway line is likely to be completed by February next year.
Public Works Department (PWD) minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said that the work on the stretch has been resumed and is going in full swing. “Work has gathered pace… We have also got an in-principle NOC from the Indian Railways. Trains are likely to be diverted for a few days so that the work is completed on time,” he said.
The 110-metre-long Underpass 5 was supposed to be completed and inaugurated along with the Pragati Maidan tunnel and other underpasses on this stretch as part of the Pragati Maidan Integrated Transit Corridor redevelopment project. However, owing to an active railway line over the stretch and fluctuations in the Yamuna water level, it was delayed.
In 2023, the work was halted after precast concrete boxes, pushed beneath the active railway line using a ‘box-pushing’ method, sank due to flooding caused by the Yamuna. Following this, the PWD proposed a ‘cut and cover’ method, which involves cutting the railway track and pulling the stuck concrete and leveling it up. This process required a period of 40 to 60 days during which the railway line had to remain shut. The Indian Railways refused to grant permission for the same.
Later, the PWD decided to switch to the ‘cast in-situ’ technology.
Once completed, the stretch will bring relief to commuters travelling between Bhairon Marg, Central Delhi and ISBT Kashmere Gate, Ring Road and Sarai Kale Khan; ease congestion around Pragati Maidan and ITO corridor; improve East-Central connectivity; and ensure smoother traffic flow during major national and international events hosted at the ITPO complex.
Currently, traffic is being managed with temporary diversions and barricading, leading to severe congestion near Ring Road, Bhairon Marg and Sarai Kale Khan, said officials.
