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With the redesigning project of over 500-km road stretches being started, small patches of roads are being worked on across the national capital. The project envisages redesigning the footpaths, increasing green cover and planting new trees, new lighting, creating cycle tracks and redesigning the drainage at a few areas.
The objectives of the project are to decongest roads, encourage the use of non-motorised vehicles, public transport and walking. The aim is also to make roads more accessible to people with disabilities and more user-friendly. It also aims at making more efficient use of space, improving road geometry and making the roads safer.
An official of the Public Works Department said a few stretches had been taken up as samples and they are all in different stages of completion. The aim was to complete seven sample stretches by the end of this year. However, because of the dynamic nature of the project and labour shortage due to the lockdown, some of them might take slightly longer.
Seven sample stretches are currently being worked on. Among them is a 5.2-km road from Britannia Chowk to Outer Ring Road, West Enclave, Pitampura where red and grey tiles are being placed along with a few bollards have been placed on the road. New shrubs have been planted on the stretch too.
On the 6-km road from Wazirpur Depot Crossing to Rithala Metro Station, a brown and grey colour scheme was implemented.
Work is on simultaneously at a 5.3-km stretch on the Ring Road from AIIMS to Ashram. Grey and red tiles have been placed and a cycle track, painted red with a white cycle symbol on the ground, has been made.
The stretch from Shivdaspuri Marg to Patel Road (from Moti Nagar T-Point to Pusa Roundabout) is also being worked upon. Meanwhile, at a 3.1-km stretch at Vikas Marg, an NMV lane and a new drain has been constructed. Officials working on the project said that drainage is an important component of the project.
At a 2.1-km stretch from Mother Dairy to Punch Mahal Newas, on Narwana Road, work had been stalled because residents were against streetscaping of the road. Work on the footpath and drainage are midway. Meanwhile, streetscaping work is being done on a 9.2-km stretch from Mayapuri to Moti Bagh Junction.
Overall, nine packages for consultancy works in different circles have been awarded. As much as 78.84 km of roads are being worked upon in the East Circle, 36.46 km in Shahdara circle and 22.77 km in the North East Circle. In the North West Circle, 84.6 km will be taken up and in the West and the North circles, 73.73 km and 66.4 km will be taken up, respectively.
As much as 47.22 km, 81.35 km and 49.05 km of road stretches will be taken up in South, South East and South West circles, respectively. In total, 540 km of road stretches will be taken up.
The preliminary estimate for the project is Rs 10,996 crore. Some of the elements that one can expect to see on these stretches include bus stands, parking lots, bicycle parking spots, auto and cycle rickshaws stands, public toilets, drinking water points, street vending zones, Aam Aadmi canteens and Mohalla clinics, planters, benches and seating, curb cuts and tactile paving, trees with tree gratings and tree guards and maps and signages.
A passive stormwater management strategy is to be implemented and a number of plants and trees will be planted, depending on what grows well in the specific areas.