Barapullah Phase III Enters Load Testing Phase in Mayur Vihar After 9 Delays
The Public Works Department (PWD) has ordered load testing for the long-delayed Barapullah Phase III corridor, moving the elevated road across the Yamuna River into its final round of safety checks after missing its ninth deadline last month. The project will connect Mayur Vihar in east Delhi with Sarai Kale Khan, AIIMS, and south Delhi.
The upcoming load tests are expected to begin next week and will involve heavy trucks carrying a combined load of more than 250 tonnes across selected stretches between columns. These tests will be conducted on chosen sections from among the elevated corridor's nearly 150 spans to evaluate structural stability before the bridge is thrown open to public traffic.
The 3.5-kilometre elevated four-lane corridor across the Yamuna River is designed to offer a direct, largely signal-free transit link between Mayur Vihar in east Delhi and major transit hubs in south Delhi, including Sarai Kale Khan and the AIIMS area. Once operational, it is expected to significantly streamline movement across the river.
First approved in 2014, the Barapullah Phase III project was originally scheduled for completion in 2017. However, the infrastructure work faced prolonged delays spanning nearly a decade due to ongoing land acquisition disputes, required environmental clearances, and complex construction challenges within the Yamuna floodplain.
The corridor recently missed its eighth scheduled opening date on June 30. That deadline was missed due to multiple supply disruption issues, including a shortage of bitumen caused by the ongoing West Asia crisis. Following the June 30 delay, officials were asked to complete all pending construction and operational works by July 20, marking the project's ninth deadline. That target date was also missed last month.
Following the completion of pending works, the Public Works Department wrote to Chief Minister Rekha Gupta seeking an official date for the formal inauguration of the elevated corridor in August. While the Chief Minister's Office has not yet officially announced an inauguration schedule, sources indicate that the opening ceremony may take place sometime later this month.
