New Delhi, Sep 24 (IANS) It will take seven just minutes for athletes and team officials staying at the Commonwealth Games Village in east Delhi to reach the main venue Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium - thanks to the Barapullah elevated road. The trial run on the four-km road began Friday.

Being the first elevated road in the city, it will provide a dedicated corridor for movement of 10,000 players from the Games Village to the stadium in south Delhi during the Oct 3-14 Commonwealth Games.

"Within six to seven minutes, athletes will reach the JN Stadium from the Games Village," Delhi Public Works Department Minister Raj Kumar Chauhan said.

Chauhan flagged off around 250 buses from the Games Village to the stadium as part of the trial run.

"The drive from the Games Village to the stadium would otherwise take at least 40 minutes and it will save a lot of commuting time for players," Delhi Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta said.

The dual carriageway having three lanes each from Sarai Kale Khan to the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium will ensure smooth flow of traffic between east Delhi and other parts of the capital. It will be open to public from Oct 15.

The city government had faced lot of criticism as the project missed several deadlines.

Some 7,000 participants and officials from 71 teams are expected to attend the Commonwealth Games, India's biggest sporting event after the 1982 Asian Games.

Here are the salient details on its construction:

Government agency in-charge: Public Works Department, Delhi government

Constructed by: Gurgaon-based DSC Pvt Ltd

Cost: Rs.550 crore

Length: 4 kilometres

Duration of construction: 20 months