PWD to strengthen, repair 54 key Delhi roads from March

Officials said the list of roads was discussed with PWD minister Parvesh Verma on Tuesday and will be finalised in the first week of March

New Delhi

Officials estimate the work to cost around ₹350 crore this time, subject to the minister’s approval. In 2024-25, around 150 kilometres of roads were strengthened and work on another 108 kilometres is underway. (HT Archive/Representative photo)

As many as 54 key roads spread across 120 kilometres, which have only seen patchwork repair in the past few years, will be repaired and restrengthened this year, officials of the Public Works Department (PWD) said on Wednesday.

Some of the key roads that will be strengthened include Vikas Marg, Ring Road, Outer Ring Road, Noida Link Road, Patparganj Road, the road along the Ghazipur drain, East End Apartment Road, Maharishi Balmiki Marg, SP Mukherjee Marg, Shahdara Road, Rani Jhansi Road, Chelmsford Road, Azad Market Road, Main Burari Road, Panchsheel Enclave Road, Mehrauli-Mahipalpur Road and Ravi Das Marg, officials said.

“On average, around 220-240 kilometres of PWD roads are strengthened every year at a cost of approximately ₹2.5-3 crore per kilometre. It is important to undertake this work every few years, especially for stretches that see heavy traffic flow. However, we have to carefully plan this work because in many cases, it can mean halting or diverting traffic,” a PWD official, not wishing to be named, said.

Officials said the list of roads was discussed with PWD minister Parvesh Verma on Tuesday and will be finalised in the first week of March. Verma, after the meeting, had said that PWD will focus on four key strategies—pothole-free roads, faster project execution, enhanced road safety and urban beautification—to ensure good road infrastructure.

Officials estimate the work to cost around ₹350 crore this time, subject to the minister’s approval. In 2024-25, around 150 kilometres of roads were strengthened and work on another 108 kilometres is underway.

The PWD official said they will use a cold milling technique for the works, as part of which the entire bituminous layer is scraped from the surface and a new top layer, with glowing studs, is laud. Horticulture work will resume once this is complete, the official said.

Approval for the road strengthening is expected by March 3 to start the tendering process, officials said, citing a limited five-month window available for such works due to pollution-related curbs, permissions from agencies concerned, monsoon disruptions and unfavourable cold conditions during winter.

Experts said that for better traffic management during the repair, steps such as diversions ahead of flyovers and placing proper signage will help reduce bottlenecks, besides creating public awareness in advance for people to plan their travel.

“If PWD already has these repair works planned, they should undertake the jobs in a phased manner to avoid multiple bottlenecks across the city. Officials can create Google alerts and use FM radio channels to ensure that the traffic menace is either avoided or people plan their travel accordingly,” said S Velmurugan, chief scientist and head, traffic engineering and safety division, Central Road Research Institute (CRRI).

He said police deployment should also be ensured during peak hours and alternative routes should be identified.