Delhi Eyes Rs 6,000 Crore Elevated Corridor Over Ring Road To Ease Traffic

In a bid to decongest one of Delhi's most saturated traffic corridors, the city government is planning to construct an elevated corridor over the 55-kilometre-long Inner Ring Road - a lifeline now buckling under the weight of urban expansion, vehicle surge, and crumbling infrastructure.

The project, still in early stages, is being designed with a toll-based revenue model to reduce government expenditure and ensure sustainable maintenance. According to sources, the Public Works Department (PWD) has been asked to initiate the process of appointing a consultant and preparing a Detailed Project Report (DPR).

The proposed corridor could cost between Rs 5,500 crore to Rs 6,000 crore, translating to approximately Rs 100 crore per kilometre, in line with recent benchmarks for elevated infrastructure in urban India.

PWD Minister Parvesh Verma, confirming the development, said, "We've directed officials to expedite the appointment of a consultant. The DPR will examine both technical feasibility and traffic diversion models, ensuring minimal disruption during construction."

The elevated road is envisioned as a "premium corridor", rising above the existing Inner Ring Road and offering signal-free, high-speed access for users willing to pay a toll. It's modeled on dual-layered traffic solutions designed to separate local and through traffic.

The Inner Ring Road was originally intended as a peripheral bypass to divert traffic away from central Delhi. At the time, the capital had fewer than 3 million residents. Today, the National Capital Region (NCR) houses over 30 million, and vehicle registrations in Delhi alone have crossed 1.4 crore, according to the Delhi Transport Department.

The corridor today features several signalised intersections, multiple unregulated access points, and service lanes frequently used for illegal parking, all contributing to perpetual choke points. According to the 2024 Delhi Traffic Police Survey, 12 of the city's 134 worst congestion hotspots lie on either the Inner or Outer Ring Road, including Ashram, Dhaula Kuan, Moolchand, and ITO.

The elevated route is expected to extend up to 80 kilometres, when factoring in loops, ramps, interchanges, and connectors to integrate seamlessly with existing road networks and reduce conflict points.

The Delhi government believes the elevated project could bring significant relief to commuters and is positioning the project as a major infrastructure upgrade, part of a broader strategy to moderniSe the city's road network and reduce time lost to traffic snarls.

As Delhi pushes ahead with an elevated Ring Road corridor - its most ambitious intra-city road project in recent years - commuters are watching with hope and skepticism. Will the capital finally untangle its traffic snarls? Or will it simply move the gridlock higher up?