India, June 28 -- The public works department (PWD) is preparing to open the Nand Nagari flyover to traffic by August-even as trees remain standing in the middle of its carriageway due to pending forest clearances. The 1.5km stretch, part of Delhi's Rs.157.85 crore push to make Wazirabad Road signal-free, is nearly 85% complete, officials said. But delays in securing tree-felling permissions have left more than 60 trees rooted along the alignment, raising concerns about potential traffic hazards.

If opened in its current state, the flyover will become the third in Delhi where vehicles are forced to navigate around standing trees. Earlier this year, the Anand Vihar and Punjabi Bagh flyovers were inaugurated with full-grown trees left unde...