Challenges Faced in Planning, Design & Construction of Grade Separator Near Apsara Border, Delhi

The paper describes the salient features of design and construction of one of the most complex three level grade separators ever constructed in the city of Delhi. The Grade Separator comprises the following major structural components:

• A 6-lane flyover at Apsara Border along the GT Road
• 2 Nos. 2 lane Underpasses along Road No. 56 and Road No. 62
• 2 Nos. RUBs constructed under extremely challenging conditions by using box pushing technique
• 2 Nos. of Foot Over Bridges across Road No. 56 and Road No. 62
• Widening of existing bridge over Major Drain & Allied Works

This is possibly the first project in India where contiguous piles in combination with prestressed horizontal anchors have been successfully used for supporting the existing ROB approach close to the proposed Underpass. This is also the grade separator with longest total length of Underpass constructed in Delhi (total length 1666m). The paper highlights the salient technical features of the project components including the design and construction issues.

Alok Bhowmick, Managing Director, B&S Engineering Consultants Pvt. Ltd., Noida

Introduction

Rapid development and urbanization of Delhi and surrounding areas coupled with the high average income of the populace (with large standard deviation) has largely eclipsed socio-cultural traits that used to represent Delhi until a few years after independence. Traffic congestion, longer travel times and high levels of air pollution are just some of the growing problems faced by the city's residents. Rising incomes and a burgeoning middle class has seen an increase in private vehicles in the past two decades, particularly because the public transport system has not kept pace. Delhi has nearly 4.5 million vehicles, which is more than that in the three other major Indian cities of Mumbai, Calcutta and Chennai put together. The growth in the number of vehicles has had a knock on effect on the roads of the city. Traffic congestion, longer travel times and high levels of air pollution are just some of the problems faced by the city's residents. Coupled with the above, there was tremendous pressure to improve infrastructures in the urban areas in general for the Commonwealth Games of October 2010, which led to the construction of this grade separator which was long overdue at this intersection in any case.