PWD to create model pedestrian-friendly footpaths at key roads

The project includes the installation of tactile tiles for people with visual impairments, new kerbstones, red sandstone flooring, stone wall cladding at select locations and other associated civil works.

The public works department (PWD) will take up a pilot project to upgrade pedestrian infrastructure along two key stretches in the capital at an estimated cost of ₹3.7 crore, officials said.

According to PWD officials, the existing footpaths will be dismantled and rebuilt using a combination of granite paving and cement concrete paver blocks.

The project will cover Lodhi Road and the Ring Road stretch between Ashram and Moolchand Chowk, with the aim of improving accessibility, pedestrian safety, durability and overall walking conditions through universal design features. Officials said the redeveloped footpaths will serve as a model for similar pedestrian-friendly road projects across the city.

The move comes on the heels of the Supreme Court last month emphasising the need for better footpaths and observing that well-maintained footpaths are “a fundamental right” of every citizen.

According to PWD officials, the existing footpaths will be dismantled and rebuilt using a combination of granite paving and cement concrete paver blocks. The project also includes the installation of tactile tiles for people with visual impairments, new kerbstones, red sandstone flooring, stone wall cladding at select locations and other associated civil works.

“This pilot initiative is intended to demonstrate the standards the department wants to adopt for pedestrian infrastructure. The objective is to create safer, more accessible and better-quality footpaths that can be replicated on other important roads across Delhi,” a senior PWD official said.

The work will involve removing existing interlocking paver blocks and kerbstones, demolishing damaged concrete and brickwork, clearing construction debris, rebuilding the base, laying concrete foundations and installing new pedestrian surfaces. It will also include plastering, stone coping, granite edge moulding and drainage works required to support the upgraded footpaths.

Officials said tactile paving has been incorporated to improve accessibility for people with visual impairments, while granite and red sandstone have been chosen for their durability and ease of maintenance. Cement concrete paver blocks will be laid on compacted sand beds to improve stability and facilitate future maintenance.

Another official said the project has been designed to improve the overall pedestrian experience rather than address isolated defects.

“The upgraded stretches will include improved paving, tactile guidance for the visually impaired, reconstructed kerbs and associated civil infrastructure so that pedestrians can use the footpaths comfortably and safely. The experience from these pilot stretches will help shape similar projects in the future,” the second official said.

Officials said the project is expected to be completed within six months and will provide a template for future pedestrian infrastructure upgrades on major roads across Delhi.