Rekha unveils Rs 1.25L cr road infra push for Delhi

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced a sweeping infrastructure overhaul for the Capital, following a high-level meeting chaired by Union Road and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari.

The meeting was attended by Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, Union MoS Harsh Malhotra, Delhi Cabinet Ministers, MPs and senior officials from key departments.

While addressing a press conference on Wednesday, the Chief Minister informed that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is currently executing road and transport projects worth Rs 35,000 crore across the Capital. This comes in addition to Rs 64,000 crore worth of completed works, covering 1,578 km of roads. Furthermore, Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for upcoming projects worth Rs 24,000 crore spanning 128 km have already been prepared and await rollout.

Gupta underlined several critical initiatives aimed at easing congestion and reducing pollution. These include a 7-km underground tunnel from Shiv Murti to Nelson Mandela Road, an elevated road from INA to the airport (eventually connecting Faridabad and Gurugram), and extensions of Urban Extension Road-II linking Alipur to Tronica City and the Delhi–Dehradun route. A feasibility study is also underway for a tunnel from Sarai Kale Khan to IGI Airport.

She also revealed that major arterial roads — Rohtak Road (Punjabi Bagh to Nangloi), Ashram to Badarpur and MG Road — have now been handed over to the NHAI. These roads will be upgraded into signal-free corridors with complete supporting infrastructure, including drainage, side lanes and real-time monitoring systems.

“Earlier, multiple agencies led to fragmented execution and chronic waterlogging. Now, the NHAI will be the single-point authority, with support from the Delhi PWD,” she said.

In a significant connectivity upgrade, a 20-km link road from Inderlok Metro Station along the Munak Canal to Sonipat has been proposed. Gupta said this new route would relieve traffic from Mukarba Chowk and benefit thousands of daily commuters between Delhi and Haryana.

The NHAI has also sanctioned Rs 150 crore for the construction of road over bridges (ROBs) and under bridges (RUBs) to remove bottlenecks near railway crossings.

Expressing her gratitude to PM Narendra Modi and Minister Gadkari, Gupta said: “With Rs 1.25 lakh crore worth of decongestion projects in Delhi, the Centre has shown unparalleled commitment to transforming Delhi into a clean, green and world-class city.”

The Chief Minister also highlighted NHAI’s eco-friendly practices such as using inert solid waste and construction debris from Delhi’s landfills in road construction.