Delhi’s ambitious push to rebuild 400 km of roads by March 2026 may soon bring daytime construction to some of the city’s busiest corridors. The Public Works Department (PWD) has formally approached the traffic police for approval, warning that the project cannot progress if work continues to be restricted to night hours. If cleared, commuters could face more barricades, slower-moving traffic, and longer peak-hour delays — a prospect officials say is “unavoidable but essential.”
According to senior PWD officials, winter has become the biggest roadblock. Freshly laid bitumen requires a surface temperature of at least 15°C, a condition Delhi will not meet until mid-February. This makes night-time construction “next to impossible,” effectively halting the project unless day work is permitted.
“The choice is between a few months of controlled inconvenience and years of dust, potholes, and unsafe roads,” a senior PWD official told NDTV.
Delaying the project now, officials warn, would push the entire timeline off track.
‘Delhi Deserves World-Class Roads’: PWD Minister
PWD Minister Parvesh Verma defended the proposal for daytime work, stressing that unnecessary delays may also jeopardize funding.
“Delhi deserves world-class roads built with honesty and urgency,” Verma said.
To avoid long, dug-up stretches — a recurring nightmare for residents — Verma said contractors will be held to strict deadlines. He promised additional workforce, with cooperation from the traffic police, to keep traffic flowing as smoothly as possible through the affected corridors.
A Mega Overhaul Covering 402 Km
The project is one of the capital’s biggest recent infrastructure initiatives, covering 402 km of road length:
- 300.917 km under the Central Road Fund (CRF)
- 100.944 km under state funding
This is not just a resurfacing effort. The PWD’s design includes:
- Improved drainage systems
- Continuous and safer footpaths
- Redesigned junctions
- Integrated mobility enhancements
Officials say the upgrades will reduce waterlogging, improve pedestrian safety, and cut travel times in the long term.
Major Corridors Set for CRF Upgrades
The key routes expected to face major construction activity include:
- Eastern Approach Road, Wazirabad
- Road No. 68, North-East Delhi
- Stretches of Old GT Road
- Loni Border Corridor
- Narela–Alipur Road
- Bhajanpura–Yamuna Vihar main road
- Seelampur–Shastri Park stretch
- Karawal Nagar corridor
“These are critical commuter and freight routes. Their condition impacts everyone — from daily office-goers to goods carriers,” an official noted.
Neighbourhood Roads Under State Funding
Several high-traffic residential and commercial connectors will also be upgraded:
- Press Enclave Road
- Khel Gaon Marg
- Surajkund Road
- Bipin Chandra Pal Marg–CR Park stretch
- Sheikh Sarai–Panchsheel Road
- Mandir Marg–Karol Bagh connector
- New Friends Colony link road
- Rajokri–NH48 service lane leading to the airport and Gurgaon
Real-Time Monitoring To Prevent Delays
To ensure quality and accountability, the PWD has introduced real-time monitoring, zonal tracking, and enhanced supervision teams.
“Quality control is non-negotiable,” Minister Verma said, adding that responsibility will be fixed at “every single level.”
Some corridors have already undergone preliminary work, but a full-scale launch now depends on one key decision — whether the traffic police will permit day-time construction.
If approved, officials say the city could see visible progress within weeks, though commuters should brace for inevitable delays on major routes.