4 min readNew DelhiJun 19, 2026 04:32 PM IST
First published on: Jun 19, 2026 at 04:44 AM IST
The Capital is set to get two more bridges on the Yamuna river with the government approving the first phase of a Rs 12,000 crore elevated Ring Road corridor project from Metcalfe House in the city’s Civil Lines area to DND flyover near Ashram. Aimed at ensuring signal-free movement while reducing congestion, the project — which is part of the Delhi government’s mega decongestion plan — will help boost connectivity between North, North East and South East Delhi, said officials. It is also expected to reduce vehicular pollution and road accidents on key arterial routes.
Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh told The Indian Express on Thursday that the proposed elevated corridor above the 55-km Ring Road —which is considered the lifeline of the Capital’s road infrastructure — will be constructed in six sections in two phases. “The first three sections under Phase 1 have been approved. The feasibility and detailed project report (DPR) has been prepared and is being reviewed. It will soon be sent to the Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning & Engineering) Centre or UTTIPEC for further approval…,” he said.
In the first phase, about 25-km long corridor will be developed under three priority sections — 7-km Azadpur Chowk to Metcalfe House junction, 5-km long Majnu Ka Tila to Salimgarh Fort section and Salimgarh Fort to DND flyway section.
Officials said the total length of the corridor — when ramps, loops, and additional connecting roads are included —- is expected to be around 80 km. Also known as Mahatma Gandhi Marg , the Ring Road — which has 11 junctions sees a vehicle load of 5 lakh vehicles daily. The average speed during peak hours is 23.79 kmph. The project promises to increase this average speed to 45 kmph.
Where will the two bridges come up?
At present, the Capital has more than 20 bridges over Yamuna. The two new bridges, said officials, will come up between Metcalfe Junction and Salimgarh Fort. One of the bridges is planned to come up near Old Iron Bridge (Lohe ka Pul) as its replacement. It will help in reducing the traffic jams on the existing ITO bridge and Yudhister Setu (also known as the Kashmere Gate Flyover). “This bridge will connect North East, East and South East Delhi linking directly with the DND Flyway near Ashram,” explained a PWD official.
The other bridge will come up at Chandgiram Akhara near Metcalf House, which will cross the Yamuna providing connectivity to North East Delhi, ITO, Mayur Vihar side. The stretch will also provide interchange to Delhi-Dehradun Expressway, creating a seamless high-speed connection between North Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad and will boost regional NCR connectivity, as per the plan. This will enhance regional mobility, improve accessibility and support the movement of both local and inter-city traffic across the eastern side of Delhi, said officials.
Alleviating traffic woes
Why is the project significant?
The proposed Ring Road project aims to streamline local and long-distance traffic. The long-distance or through traffic, officials said, accounts for about 39% of the total volume. The project will also improve connectivity to key destinations across the city with 15 interchange junctions and 23 approach roads.
The arterial route witnesses 150 plus fatal accidents annually and the average annual emissions from the vehicles are 2.1 lakh ton carbon emissions. The project promises to bring down the count in both the categories.
Singh said that the construction for the Phase I of the corridor is expected to begin soon as it does not have as many challenges in comparison to subsequent phases, like land acquisition. “As it is a big budget project, the Delhi government will seek monetary support from the Centre,” said the Minister.
In the subsequent three phases, the PWD will carry out work on portions from DND—Ashram flyover to Moti Bagh Metro Station, which is 10.5 km long and covers key areas like Moolchand, Lajpat, Andrews Ganj, South Extension, AIIMS, Safdarjung enclave and Bhikaji Cama Place. The section that follows will cover a stretch from Moti Bagh to Rajouri Garden, and the final leg will cover Rajouri Garden to Azadpur Chowk, said officials.
In the first phase, about 25-km long corridor will be developed under three priority sections — 7-km Azadpur Chowk to Metcalfe House junction, 5-km long Majnu Ka Tila to Salimgarh Fort section and Salimgarh Fort to DND flyway section.
Alleviating traffic woes
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