New Delhi, Mar 2 (PTI) Commuters travelling to the India Gate and other central Delhi areas from east Delhi, Noida and Ghaziabad will soon be able to avoid traffic snarls at ITO and nearby stretches as the construction of a tunnel underneath the Pragati Maidan is likely to be completed this month, officials said.Officials said it will be Delhi"s first tunnel in which traffic moves.Officials of the Public Works Department (PWD), which is helming the project, said that along with the tunnel six underpasses are also being constructed at Mathura Road, Ring Road and Bhairon Marg to streamline traffic movement in the region.They said that once the tunnel is operational, motorists travelling from Noida, Ghaziabad and east Delhi will have signal-free access to the India Gate, Supreme Court, Mathura Road and vice-versa.Under the project, the PWD is constructing a 1.2-km-long tunnel and six underpasses at an estimated cost of Rs 777 crore. The tunnel will start near the National Sports Complex of India (NSCI) on the Purana Qila Road and pass underneath the redeveloped Pragati Maidan to culminate at the Ring Road near Pragati Power station.“It will be Delhi’s first tunnel in which the traffic will move. The construction work of the project is in its last leg and is likely to be over later this month positively. After the completion of the project we plan to open the facility at the earliest,” an official told PTI on the condition of anonymity.The official added that a trial run of vehicles is likely to be conducted later this month before the formal inauguration.The construction work of the tunnel was started in March 2018 and it was scheduled to be completed by September 2019. This deadline was extended to June 2020 due to complexities involved in the construction work.The June deadline was also pushed to December 2020 due to the Covid lockdown and it was further extended to September 2021. The latest deadline is March 2022.“The delay occurred earlier due to the lockdown and later because of pollution restrictions. This year the work moved at a tardy pace because of untimely rains in January. We are hoping to complete the remaining work this month,” another official said.Officials said that the tunnel will also have extensive art work. Murals on the walls of the tunnel and underpasses will showcase Indian culture, birds and six seasons in different parts of the country from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.Commuters said that it is a public welfare project so it should be prioritised and opened as soon as possible.“This tunnel and underpasses will certainly help in easing congestion in ITO and its surrounding areas. This facility will not only save time and money of commuters but also help in reducing carbon footprint thereby protecting the environment,” Deepima Dwivedi, a commuter and resident of Mayur Vihar, said. PTI AKM AKM TIR TIR TIR