Elevated corridor proposed on Aruna Asaf Ali Marg to ease congestion, feasibility study underway

PWD Minister says it is likely to provide signal-free corridor along one of South Delhi’s busiest stretches

PWD Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said the proposed project is expected to provide “a signal-free corridor along one of South Delhi’s busiest stretches, significantly reducing travel time for commuters”.PWD Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said the proposed project is expected to provide “a signal-free corridor along one of South Delhi’s busiest stretches, significantly reducing travel time for commuters”. (File)

To ease congestion at one of South Delhi’s busiest stretches, the Public Works Department (PWD) earlier this week moved ahead to gauge if an elevated corridor should be built on Aruna Asaf Ali Marg.

The said corridor is a key arterial route connecting Mahipalpur and Mehrauli with Outer Ring Road. However, heavy traffic, multiple intersections and local movement result in persistent congestion, especially during the peak hours. Officials said that the proposed elevated corridor is intended to segregate traffic and thus provide substantial relief to nearby road networks.

On July 20, the PWD approved a budget of nearly Rs 2 crore for a detailed feasibility study of the proposed elevated road. The proposal followed a decision taken at a meeting chaired by the Secretary to the Chief Minister on March 10, during which the PWD was directed to engage a consultant for feasibility studies of elevated corridors to reduce traffic congestion in South Delhi.

The said stretch runs from Kishangarh village near Vasant Kunj to IIT flyover at the Outer Ring Road-Aurobindo Marg junction, covering around 5.5-6 km. The corridor passes by the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Vasant Kunj and the ICSSR campus.

PWD Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said the proposed project is expected to provide “a signal-free corridor along one of South Delhi’s busiest stretches, significantly reducing travel time for commuters”.

Major bottlenecks, officials said, include the traffic signal near Fortis Hospital, three cuts and two traffic lights in Kishangarh village, and intersections near JNU, Sanjay Van, the Qutub Institutional Area and Ber Sarai, where “traffic moves at a crawl… causing delays for thousands of commuters every day”.

The Minister said the feasibility study is aimed at examining existing and projected traffic volumes, engineering design alternatives, construction feasibility, environmental impact, land acquisition requirements and overall project cost before recommending the final alignment and design of the elevated corridor.

Devansh Mittal is a Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in the New Delhi City bureau. He reports on urban policy, civic governance, and infrastructure in the National Capital Region, with a growing focus on housing, land policy, transport, and the disruption economy and its social implications. Professional Background Education: He studied Political Science at Ashoka University. Core Beats: His reporting focuses on policy and governance in the National Capital Region, one of the largest urban agglomerations in the world. He covers housing and land policy, municipal governance, urban transport, and the interface between infrastructure, regulation, and everyday life in the city. Recent Notable Work His recent reporting includes in-depth examinations of urban policy and its on-ground consequences: An investigation into subvention-linked home loans that documented how homebuyers were drawn into under-construction projects through a “builder–bank” nexus, often leaving them financially exposed when delivery stalled. A detailed report on why Delhi’s land-pooling policy has remained stalled since 2007, tracing how fragmented land ownership, policy design flaws, and mistrust among stakeholders have kept one of the capital’s flagship urban reforms in limbo. A reported piece examining the collapse of an electric mobility startup and what it meant for women drivers dependent on the platform for livelihoods. Reporting Approach Devansh’s work combines on-ground reporting with analysis of government data, court records, and academic research. He regularly reports from neighbourhoods, government offices, and courtrooms to explain how decisions on housing, transport, and the disruption economy shape everyday life in the city. Contact X (Twitter): @devanshmittal_ Email: devansh.mittal@expressindia.com ... Read More

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