The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has invited bids for a Rs. 3.78 bn revamp of the eight-kilometre Mathura Road corridor between Ashram and the Badarpur border in south-east Delhi. The project will cover carriageway rehabilitation, expansion to four lanes, new pavements, bridge work, intersection redesign and drainage upgrades.

An NHAI official said the bidding process was likely to be completed by the end of November. Delhi Traffic Police data shows that the corridor carries around 500,000 vehicles during peak hours, while the planned work is expected to cause further disruption once construction begins.

The contractor will also maintain the corridor for 10 years. Its responsibilities will include repairing road surfaces and bridges, cleaning and repairing drains, and maintaining road markings, lighting, signs and traffic-control devices.

The Union government told the Lok Sabha in April that the Ashram-Badarpur route was among three major stretches planned to become largely signal-free. Minister of state for road transport Harsh Malhotra said detailed project reports were being prepared and that three flyovers were planned on the corridor. The project report envisages completing the work in two years.

The route has experienced years of construction-related disruption. The Ashram underpass, begun in December 2019, opened in April 2022 after delays, while the Ashram flyover extension, started in June 2020, opened in March 2023. Work on the Modi Mill-Kalkaji flyover is also affecting traffic near the Outer Ring Road.

Four intersections and crossings at Madanpur Khadar, Apollo Hospital, Mata Mandir Marg and Okhla have been identified as problem areas. Narrow turns near the Ashram underpass and traffic merging from the Modi Mill flyover loop also create bottlenecks. Residents have raised concerns that vehicles diverting through internal roads could worsen disruption in Maharani Bagh, while commuters have reported evening congestion between Apollo Hospital and Mohan Estate metro station.