The Public Works Department (PWD) has announced plans to undertake repair and maintenance work on guard rails and crash barriers along the Ring Road and bypass flyovers to improve commuter safety. Officials said the work is being taken up on priority following repeated complaints about missing or damaged crash barriers, especially on flyovers prone to high-speed traffic and congestion.

The department has invited bids for the project and expects to award the contract by the end of January. Once work begins, it is likely to take three to four months to complete. A budget of Rs 9.6 million has been approved for the safety upgrade.

According to PWD officials, several stretches of the Ring Road have become vulnerable over time due to wear and tear, minor accidents and delayed maintenance. “Ring Road carries some of the highest traffic volumes in the city. Over the years, wear and tear, minor collisions and delayed maintenance have left several stretches vulnerable. This project focuses on restoring and reinforcing guard rails and crash barriers and placing retro-reflective tapes to meet safety norms,” a senior PWD official said.

The scope of work includes repairing single-sided W-metal beam crash barriers across 2,120 metres, supplying 44,651 kg of mild steel pipes for flyover guard rails, installing 3,269 metres of railing and fixing 2,725 chemical anchors. Concrete foundations and enamel painting of both new and existing structures will also be carried out.

Officials said the revamp has gained urgency in the wake of a recent fatal accident in Noida, where the absence of proper signage and crash barriers at a construction site was cited as a contributing factor. “Safety features like crash barriers are not cosmetic additions. They are critical engineering controls that reduce severity of accidents,” the official added.

Transport experts welcomed the move but stressed the need for long-term planning. S Velmurugan, chief scientist and head of the traffic engineering division at the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), said many Ring Road flyovers were built decades ago and need upgrades to contemporary safety standards rather than reactive repairs.

If executed on schedule, officials said commuters could see visible improvements in safety infrastructure on Ring Road flyovers within weeks.

News source: Hindustan Times