While the South Delhi has been strugling with the botched BRT corridor, it was a pleasant experience for me (and many East Delhites) while going to office on Friday. The newly constructed Canal Raod, constructed parallel to the Vikas Marg, has been finally thrown open to public the previous evening (24th April, 2008) by Delhi CM Smt Shiela Dixit. In fact, this is the second official opening of the road. It first thrown open to the public on February 14, 2007 by the then Delhi PWD Minister Sri A.K. Walia.

This 2.9 kilometre long road, connects the Marginal Bund Road (Pushta Road) near Geeta Colony with Karkari Morh. Constructed for Rs 102 crore, it has come up over an old canal, which now serves as a drain and carries sewage and rainwater. This is a brillinat concept of creating a parallel road over an old canal. However you will have to bear the stench of the sewage while waiting at the traffic light at the karkari Morh on return. If you are travelling from Anand Vihar side, then the cut down is available from the middle point on the Karkari Morh flyover. Therefore, instead of taking the Vikas Marg by turning left at the point where the flyover has started, one should continue on the flyover and then turn left. The cut on the flyover is on the Karkari Morh - Jagatpuri side, i.e., on the Preet Vihar side not on the Karkardoma side. Once the the Yamuna Bridge at Geeta Colony is completed, the time of travel between Karkari Morh to Shanti Van will be reduced to just 20 minutes. This is suppose to provide signal free travelling from Karkari Morh to Kashmere gate ISBT. As of now, for going to ITO, one is required to turn left at Geeta Colony and get lost into traffic at the ITO bridge.

This new road has cut short my brief journey to office by at least half a kilometer. More importantly the time required was cut by about 15 minutes. Ever since the work on metro started on the busy Vikas Marg about a year back, one had to avoid the Vikas Marg becuase of the heavy traffic, specially during office hours. But this road has brought cheer to all of us in the office.