Delhi govt plans elevated corridors in north, northeast Delhi to decongest high-volume roads

The Delhi government plans two elevated corridors to ease traffic congestion and improve connectivity across key routes in north and northeast Delhi.

The Delhi government plans to develop two elevated corridors in north and northeast Delhi, from Britannia Chowk to Outer Ring Road and from Ankur Enclave to Gokulpuri Metro station, which will serve as bypass arterial corridorsto decongest key roads, such as the Outer Ring Road, Peeragarhi, Rohtak Road and Wazirabad Road, officials familiar with the matter said. The north Delhi corridor will pass through Shakur Basti Railway station and Guru Harkishan Road, while the other corridor will pass over the Karawal Nagar drain, senior government officials said.

The Delhi government plans to build two elevated corridors in north and northeast Delhi to improve connectivity and decongest key roads. (Representative image/HT Photo)

The Public Works Department (PWD) has invited bids to assess feasibility and prepare detailed project reports for the corridors, each proposed to be five kilometres long. The project is expected to cost ₹3.21 crore and take five months, officials said.

Corridors to ease congestion on key routes

According to PWD officials, the proposed flyover on Guru Harikishan Marg aims to reduce the traffic load on this route by creating a parallel route.

“The stretch between Punjabi Bagh Chowk and Mundka Industrial Area is over 10 kilometres long and it frequently experiences severe traffic jams. During peak hours, congestion on Rohtak Road is so intense that commuting beyond Peeragarhi Chowk towards Mundka Industrial Area and Bahadurgarh becomes extremely difficult,” an official, who did not wish to be named, said.

“This road connects the Outer Ring Road near Britannia Chowk at one end and the Mangolpuri flyover at the other. Constructing a flyover here will significantly ease access to the Outer Ring Road for residents and commuters in Mangolpuri Industrial Area, Shakur Basti Railway Colony, Rani Bagh Market, Rani Bagh, Shakur Basti, Sainik Vihar, and Keshavpuram,” the official said.

The official added that it will help alleviate persistent traffic congestion on National Highway 10 (Rohtak Road), between the Punjabi Bagh Metro Station and Mundka Industrial Area.

Karawal Nagar corridor to improve east Delhi connectivity

The second corridor is planned to be constructed over the Karawal Nagar drain to improve connectivity for residents of the densely populated Karawal Nagar, Shiv Vihar, Joharipur, and Dayalpur localities in east Delhi.

Harish Bisht, a resident of Karawal Nagar, said that two arterial routes- Bhajanpura to Dayal pur/Karawal Nagar as well as Khajuri to Pawi cinema DLF Karawal Nagar via Pushta road face maximum congestion in the region. “These two routes also have maximum violations of traffic rules in Delhi. Police presence needs to be increased to regulate the traffic in short term,” he said.

PWD officials said that while there are roads on both sides of the Karawal Nagar drain, their width is barely 25–30 feet. “Since all traffic from these densely populated areas moves along the roads flanking the drain, navigating the route during peak hours is difficult. A feasibility study will be carried out to assess the construction of a ‘caterpillar’ elevated corridor over the drain, and further plans will be formulated based on the study’s findings,” the official said.

The studies will cover a survey of traffic volume, topography, and utilities that need to be shifted, as well as mapping the entire corridor length. “The consultant will help guide the entire process, including securing the permissions for tree cutting and shifting of utilities up to the project reports. They will also help in the execution of the project after bids are floated,” an official said.