Savitri flyover plagued by potholes nearly two months after revamp

Auto and bike riders said the situation is particularly risky for them, with the road condition leading to a constant risk of accidents.

Just seven weeks after repair and re-carpeting work was carried out on the Savitri flyover in south Delhi, the 1.5km stretch is yet again battered with potholes and cracked bitumen, creating daily chaos for thousands of commuters.

Commuters move amid the broken patches of the flyover after the Friday rain. (RAJ K RAJ /HT PHOTO)

Monsoon rains, meanwhile, have further worsened conditions, slowing traffic to a crawl during peak hours and leaving motorists to swerve dangerously to avoid gaping craters.

The flyover, an arterial connector on the Outer Ring Road, links neighbourhoods like Greater Kailash I and II, CR Park, Alaknanda, Chirag Dilli, Kalkaji and Tughlakabad, and is used daily by private vehicles, buses, and commercial traffic. Despite the Public Works Department (PWD) completing carpeting work between late June and mid-July, commuters now say the stretch is no safer than before.

“The flyover has been repaired multiple times over the last year, but it’s still a mess. I was about to fall one night while returning home. There are so many potholes that cause jams in the morning and accidents at night,” said Manish Pandey, 31, a resident of Shahpur Jat.

Auto and bike riders said the situation is particularly risky for them, with the road condition leading to a constant risk of accidents.

“I mostly take rides around Nehru Place and cross the flyover every day. Once, I hit a pothole while speeding and nearly lost balance. The rains make it worse because puddles hide the depth of the craters,” said Md Kadir, a Rapido driver.

According to PWD officials, the July repairs were meant to prepare the flyover for monsoon showers, but uneven surfacing and incomplete work have left one carriageway riddled with potholes. Though the elevated stretch does not face waterlogging, water has collected in cracks and damaged patches, compounding the risk for commuters.

Amit Khandelwal, a resident of Alaknanda, said that despite multiple rounds of repairs, the quality of work remains poor. “Every day it’s a nightmare. I have seen PWD officials repairing it at least three times this year. They do such a shoddy job that the road breaks down within weeks,” he said.

The Savitri flyover was built in 2001, but the pressure of growing traffic has long turned it into a choke point, especially for vehicles heading towards Nehru Place. Since 2023, the PWD has carried out multiple repairs, including a major re-carpeting exercise in March-April this year. The agency had also announced plans to make the one-way flyover a two-way road. Yet, within weeks of the July repair, the top layer has cracked again.

When contacted, a PWD official admitted the problem but blamed the weather for delays in permanent repairs. “We have asked the contractor to fix the damaged portions. If the problem continues, action will be taken. The work is delayed because it requires two completely dry days for proper carpeting. If done in wet conditions, the surface will again break down,” the official, who asked not to be identified, said.