PWD to conduct study to decongest east Delhi roads

PWD will conduct a feasibility study to reduce congestion in east Delhi, focusing on key roads and proposing a skywalk for pedestrian safety.

New Delhi: The Public Works Department (PWD) will undertake a feasibility study to address congestion along key arterial stretches in east Delhi, including Mother Dairy Road, Gandhi Nagar Road and Geeta Colony Road, officials aware of the matter said on Monday.

PWD has invited bids to hire an expert agency for preparing an “Integrated Corridor Improvement Plan” for the area (HT)

PWD has invited bids to hire an expert agency for preparing an “Integrated Corridor Improvement Plan” for the area. The move comes even as plans are being considered to construct a pedestrian skywalk near the busy Nirman Vihar–V3S Mall intersection, according to local MLA Abhay Verma.

A PWD official said the feasibility study will cover the stretch from Mother Dairy to Kashyap Mohalla, including Gandhi Nagar Road and adjoining areas. “The study will involve a detailed topographical survey, ground-penetrating radar survey to identify underground utilities, soil investigations and traffic count surveys. Based on the findings, we will assess what kind of interventions are required – whether road widening, a flyover, an underpass or pedestrian foot overbridges,” the official cited above said.

Verma, the MLA from Laxmi Nagar, said efforts have already been made to ease congestion on Vikas Marg, starting from the Laxmi Nagar intersection. “All red lights were closed and U-turns were created to smoothen vehicular movement. Four back-to-back U-turns have eased traffic flow but have created difficulties for pedestrian movement between Shakarpur and Laxmi Nagar,” he said.

To address pedestrian concerns, a skywalk is being proposed. “We are planning to set up a skywalk with a central rotary and options to descend at four different ends. It will be on the lines of the ITO skywalk,” Verma added.

The Laxmi Nagar intersection connects to Mother Dairy Road, which further links Patparganj and provides access to the Delhi-Meerut Expressway towards Ghaziabad and Noida. Verma said the government will also undertake extensive recarpeting of Mother Dairy Road, Patparganj Road and Vikas Marg, along with revamping footpaths along these stretches.

Experts cautioned that Delhi residents have historically been reluctant to use above-grade skywalks, preferring ground-level crossings even where elevated structures exist. The ITO skywalk, completed in 2018 at nearly ₹54 crore with elevators, escalators, and smart lighting, continues to see dominant at-grade pedestrian movement.

The proposed skywalk at Laxmi Nagar may also face alignment challenges due to the presence of an overhead Metro line.

Currently, a single flyover on Mother Dairy Road toward Mayur Vihar leads to traffic halting at the Mother Dairy plant red light. Residential and commercial establishments along both roads contribute to vehicle parking on carriageways, causing heavy congestion during rush hours. The feasibility study will determine optimal corridor improvements, including potential underpasses or flyovers.