Rs 1,471 crore elevated corridor cleared for MB Road

New Delhi: A long-awaited overhaul of one of south Delhi’s most congested arterial stretches is set to move forward. The Public Works Department (PWD) has received administrative approval and expenditure sanction of Rs 1,471.1 crore for an integrated elevated road project along the Mehrauli–Badarpur (MB) Road.

The project proposes the construction of a 12-km transit corridor, featuring a six-lane elevated road along with a network of underpasses aimed at easing chronic congestion and ensuring smoother traffic flow between Saket’s G Block and Pul Prahladpur.

Planned in alignment with a Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) corridor, the project is designed to integrate road and metro infrastructure, optimising space in one of the capital’s busiest stretches.

MB Road, in the southern part of the city, serves as a connector between Delhi and key NCR hubs such as Gurgaon and Faridabad. It passes through dense and high-traffic zones such as Mehrauli, Saket, Khanpur, Tigri, Tughlaqabad and Pul Prahladpur.

The corridor is also linked to major metro lines, with the yellow line at Saket and the violet line at Tughlaqabad providing crucial interchanges.

However, the stretch has long struggled with heavy congestion. Large sections pass through mixed land-use areas such as Sangam Vihar, Lal Kuan and Khanpur village, where residential clusters, markets, roadside parking, bus stops and pedestrian movement compete for limited road space.

Officials say the existing road capacity has become inadequate to handle the growing traffic volume, leading to bottlenecks and delays.

To address this, the project has been structured as two segments. The first covers the elevated corridor from Saket G Block to Sangam Vihar, where an integrated structure will be designed and constructed by DMRC, with costs shared between PWD and the metro agency.

The second segment extends from Maa Anandmayee Marg to Pul Prahladpur, where DMRC will undertake the design and construction of both its own infrastructure and the PWD’s elevated road components.

While an earlier arrangement split responsibilities between PWD and DMRC, authorities have now decided to entrust the entire elevated road work across both segments to DMRC on a deposit-work basis.

According to officials, around 60% of the work has already been completed under the previous agreement, providing a significant head start.

Beyond easing congestion, the project is expected to bring multiple benefits. By enabling a free flow of traffic, it aims to cut travel time, reduce fuel consumption, and lower vehicular emissions — an important consideration in a city grappling with air pollution.

Improved road geometry and grade separation are also expected to enhance safety for both motorists and pedestrians. A road safety and efficiency study has supported the need for such an intervention, officials said, underscoring the urgency of expanding capacity along the corridor.

Once completed, the elevated road and underpass network could ease the commute along MB Road, offering a faster and more reliable alternative through one of Delhi’s most persistently choked routes.