Delhi govt plans to redevelop key stretch on Ring Road

PWD minister Atishi said the project is a part of the vision to provide a better commuting experience to the people of Delhi.

The Delhi government has approved the upgradation and strengthening of a 4.5km stretch of the Ring Road from Ashram to the Bhairon Marg T-point, Public Works Department (PWD) minister Atishi said on Tuesday.

Delhi PWD minister Atishi. (PTI)

Officials aware of the matter said that work on the project, which will begin once a tender is finalised, will likely take several months. The plan is expected to result in massive traffic snarls as this stretch of the Ring Road is used by tens of thousands of commuters every day.

They did not immediately share the expected cost of the project.

Sharing details of the project, Atishi at a press conference said the project is a part of the vision of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal to provide a better commuting experience to the people of Delhi, while increasing the overall connectivity of various areas.

“The vision of the Arvind Kejriwal government is to establish a world class and safe transport network in the city by following international standards. In this direction, the government is strengthening the Ring Road, which is the lifeline of traffic in Delhi, connecting various parts of the city and making comfortable the daily commute of lakhs of residents,” she said.

The minister said she has instructed PWD officials that during the strengthening, all standards of safety, security and quality should be followed with commitment, and commuters should not face any problem.

Officials aware of the matter said the stretch between Ashram and Bhairon Marg spans 4.5km and is one of the busiest roads in Delhi. They said the road has started developing cracks at multiple places, due to which strengthening was required.

“For strengthening we remove the top layer of the road, and a new layer is relayed using cold milling technique. The work is mostly done at night, one lane at a time. The entire stretch has three-four lanes on each side,” said a senior PWD official, on condition of anonymity.

The project to strengthen this stretch is based on a 2023 audit conducted by Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), which had recommended several measures to repair the cracks.

The PWD official said small patches of the road will be upgraded by other agencies. “A small stretch near the newly-built Sarai Kale Khan flyover has been handed over to the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) for the construction of the Delhi–Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS). This area will be developed by them,” said the official, adding that there are similar small patches along the road.

The official further stated that their work may lead to the closure of one lane at a time, adding that PWD will require the support of the Delhi Traffic Police during the repair work, given the traffic pressure on the road.

HT reached out to the traffic police, but officers said that they are unaware of any such plan by the PWD, and that they have received no request for traffic support on this stretch — either to shut a lane, or for diverting vehicles.

Meanwhile, commuters have already raised an alarm about the soon-to-be beginning work.

“The traffic is already huge through the entire stretch from Ashram to ITO and traffic from many different directions merges here. During peak hours it takes over half an hour around ITO because of the congestion. There is already so much work going on along Ring Road. Now this will further increase our travel time,” said Kavita Singh, who regularly travels between her Mayur Vihar home and her Connaught Place office.