A major engineering highlight is the special bridge structure over the Yamuna floodplain. (X/@p_sahibsingh)Union Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate the Barapullah Phase III elevated corridor on Tuesday, providing a signal-free commute between East Delhi’s Mayur Vihar and Southeast Delhi’s Sarai Kale Khan, the government said.The 3.5-km-long, three-lane flyover has been under construction since 2015. It has eight loops, four each at Sarai Kale Khan and Mayur Vihar.How will it benefit commuters?The opening will ease the commute for people travelling from Noida and East Delhi to South Delhi. It is expected to reduce the average travel time from East Delhi and Noida to AIIMS from 35-40 minutes to 15 minutes, according to the government.The corridor is also expected to decongest traffic along National Highway-24, the Delhi Noida Direct (DND) Flyway and Ring Road, officials said.It will improve access to Sarai Kale Khan, a multi-modal transit hub that includes the National Capital Region Transport Corporation, Indian Railways, ISBT, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway.Delays and costBarapullah Phase III has seen several cost escalations and missed deadlines due to technical, environmental and procedural challenges.Initially estimated at Rs 1,260.63 crore, the project had already seen expenditure of Rs 1,238.68 crore by May and is expected to cost more than Rs 1,500 crore by the time work was completed.Story continues below this adIt became one of Delhi’s most delayed infrastructure projects. The setbacks ranged from a seven-year land acquisition dispute and environmental approvals to technical challenges in building a bridge across the Yamuna floodplain.After the BJP came to power in Delhi last year, the government got clearance from the Centre to transplant trees from the site, overcoming one of the key environmental hurdles.Important featuresThe corridor is a first-of-its-kind elevated corridor with a dedicated cycle track. Another major engineering highlight is the special bridge structure over the Yamuna floodplain.“To ensure that the natural flow of the river remains completely undisturbed, the bridge has been constructed with pillar spans stretching nearly 125 m, drastically reducing interference within the active river zone and minimising environmental impact,” an official said.Devansh Mittal is a Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in the New Delhi City bureau. He reports on urban policy, civic governance, and infrastructure in the National Capital Region, with a growing focus on housing, land policy, transport, and the disruption economy and its social implications. Professional Background Education: He studied Political Science at Ashoka University. Core Beats: His reporting focuses on policy and governance in the National Capital Region, one of the largest urban agglomerations in the world. He covers housing and land policy, municipal governance, urban transport, and the interface between infrastructure, regulation, and everyday life in the city. Recent Notable Work His recent reporting includes in-depth examinations of urban policy and its on-ground consequences: An investigation into subvention-linked home loans that documented how homebuyers were drawn into under-construction projects through a “builder–bank” nexus, often leaving them financially exposed when delivery stalled. A detailed report on why Delhi’s land-pooling policy has remained stalled since 2007, tracing how fragmented land ownership, policy design flaws, and mistrust among stakeholders have kept one of the capital’s flagship urban reforms in limbo. A reported piece examining the collapse of an electric mobility startup and what it meant for women drivers dependent on the platform for livelihoods. Reporting Approach Devansh’s work combines on-ground reporting with analysis of government data, court records, and academic research. He regularly reports from neighbourhoods, government offices, and courtrooms to explain how decisions on housing, transport, and the disruption economy shape everyday life in the city. Contact X (Twitter): @devanshmittal_ Email: devansh.mittal@expressindia.com ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram