To ease traffic movement and improve the aesthetics of roads in the city, the state Public Works Department (PWD) has begun work on streetscaping seven stretches on arterial roads in Delhi, a plan which, officials said, if successful, will be extended to 540km of roads across the Capital. PWD officials said work on the stretches will be completed by mid-2022 and, once approved by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, work on the remaining 200 will begin.
The seven identified stretches are — on Ring Road from Mayapuri to Moti Bagh junction; on Narwana Road from Mother Dairy to Panch Mahal Newas; Vikas Marg’s Laxmi Nagar Chungi to Karkari Mod; on Shivdaspuri Marg and Patel Road from Moti Nagar T-point to Pusa roundabout; on Ring Road from AIIMS to Ashram crossing; Wazirpur depot crossing in Netaji Subhash Place to Rithala metro station; and Britannia Chowk to Outer Ring Road.
The identified stretches span 36km, and are traffic hot spots, with officials saying that the project to decongest them is inspired by the work in Chandni Chowk, which was recently revamped.
PWD estimates it will need at least ₹250 crore to carry out work on the seven stretches, including ₹50.3 crore which has already been sanctioned by the Delhi government’s Expenditure and Finance Committee for revamping the stretch between AIIMS and Ashram crossing. The rest of the funds will be approved soon, officials said.
The plan
Officials said they will install plants, street furniture, toilet blocks and solar-powered streetlights in the roads, and provide ample space for pedestrians and hawkers in the seven stretches.
The plan also envisages improving the geometry of the roads by removing hurdles in its path, widening roads wherever required, and strengthening it by laying fresh asphalt layers. PWD officials also said they will improve streetlighting and decongest intersections by improving road geometry and installing proper signages.
For redesigning the Vikas Marg stretch, PWD has estimated an expense of ₹37 crore.
The road, which connects east and central Delhi, is one of the busiest stretches in the city, and is punctuated by important market and residential areas in east Delhi such as Laxmi Nagar, Preet Vihar, Karkardooma, and Anand Vihar.
“Under the plan, PWD will strengthen the road, widen it wherever required, create separate lanes for non-motorised vehicles and remove encroachments,” an official said.
The official said that Narwana Road has many transformers and poles that will be removed.
Speaking about the Ring Road portion from Moti Bagh to Mayapuri junction, another official said that encroachment and roadside parking are the major causes of congestion. “In order to remove the encroachment, PWD plans to increase the size and number of lanes… The existing four lanes will be replaced by six lanes,” said the second official.
The 9.2-km stretch has four flyovers, three Metro stations and three major intersections, and the revamp aims to create sufficient space for both motorised and non-motorised vehicles.
“The service lanes will also be renovated to make space for cyclists and pedestrians,” said the official.