Delhi–Gurgaon Expressway, one of India’s busiest intercity corridors, is poised for its first large-scale upgrade since opening in 2008, with work scheduled to begin next month. The ₹160-crore project will overhaul 28 kilometres of highway, addressing road safety, flood-prone stretches, and worn-out pavement. Executed in phases over two years, the revamp aims to boost capacity, improve commuter experience, and make the corridor more resilient to rising traffic and extreme weather National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials confirmed that the contract has been awarded, with machinery and manpower mobilisation already in motion.
Although the expressway receives routine maintenance, this overhaul will address deeper engineering issues such as pavement durability, road geometry at accident-prone stretches, and drainage inefficiencies that have plagued service roads in recent monsoons.Carrying nearly three lakh vehicles daily more than double its designed load the Delhi–Gurgaon Expressway is part of the vital Delhi–Jaipur highway (NH-8) network. The upgrade will include recarpeting 10 kilometres in Delhi and 18 kilometres in Gurgaon, reinforcing road layers near underpasses, flyovers, and service lanes to better withstand heavy axle loads.
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In a move to enhance commuter safety, existing metal crash barriers will be replaced with reinforced concrete systems, and road lighting intensity will be upgraded to at least 40 lux to improve visibility at night. Flood-prone service roads, particularly in Narsingpur, will be reconstructed with ready-mix concrete to reduce frequent damage during heavy rains.Urban transport planners have welcomed the overhaul, stressing that road safety measures and capacity expansion must be integrated with sustainable design. Experts point out that high-traffic expressways like NH-8 must incorporate climate-adaptive materials, renewable-powered lighting, and stormwater management systems to meet zero-carbon urban mobility goals. Without such interventions, infrastructure risks becoming obsolete faster in the face of rising vehicle numbers and increasingly erratic weather patterns.
The service lanes often used as diversions during construction will also receive attention, with improved lane markings and better signage to reduce bottlenecks. For local commuters, the revamp promises smoother diversions and less congestion, though concerns remain over the pace of execution and disruption during the phased works.Officials have assured that traffic diversions will be planned to minimise inconvenience, with real-time updates provided via traffic management systems. The project will also focus on rectifying narrow lane widths in certain encroached stretches and managing recurring sewage overflow in some sections.The expressway’s modernisation is being positioned not only as a road repair exercise but as a step towards building resilient transport infrastructure in the NCR. As Delhi and Gurgaon continue to expand economically, a robust and sustainable highway network will be central to maintaining mobility, reducing accident rates, and supporting low-emission transport strategies in the region.
