Delhiites can expect a smoother ride on streets as the Public Works Department (PWD) is set to begin repair work on roads in three phases. According to a report by The Indian Express,  the repair work was delayed because the department’s initial proposal—a comprehensive plan to repair and maintain all its roads through a single agency under a 10-year contract, proposed in the 2023 Budget—was stalled for several months due to various reasons. The plan has now been revised.

According to the new plan, work will be undertaken in phases, with the contract reduced to five years and focusing solely on maintenance. The earlier plan included mechanical sweeping and cleaning in addition to maintenance, which faced objections from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

Sixty road stretches, totaling 167.65 km, will be revamped on a priority basis. This includes 21 stretches in South Delhi, 16 in West Delhi, and 8 in North and North West Delhi.

A PWD official said, “Maintenance will be done by the contractor who will be awarded the work… This will be the first time where the contractor will repair and strengthen roads as well as maintain them for five years,” IE reported.

The project is being closely monitored by the PWD minister. The key roads under the plan include the Outer Ring Road from Modi Mill to Chirag Dilli, Mehrauli Mahipalpur Road, Ghitorni Road, Ring Road from B-avenue flyover to Hyatt flyover, Ring Road from Bhairon Road to Ashram, Mathura Road NH-2, Outer Ring Road from Chirag Dilli to Panchsheel Enclave, and from Panchsheel Club to Outer Ring Road to Joseph Broz Tito Marg.

Work has already begun on some stretches, such as Patel Chowk to Subhash Nagar, Vikaspuri stretch, Guru Golwalkar Marg, and Outer Ring Road from Mukarba Chowk to Burari Flyover under Phase 1. Other stretches have received financial approval but work was delayed due to the Model Code of Conduct in place during the Lok Sabha election. These works will now commence.

For the remaining stretches, estimates are in and verification for financial sanction is ongoing. In South Delhi, repairs will be conducted in Phase 3. Each stretch has different deadlines, and work on roads where repairs have already begun is expected to be completed by the end of this month.