Why Delhi CM has requested Nitin Gadkari to declare Mandi Road a national highway

3 min readJul 10, 2026 09:47 PM IST

In her letter, the CM underlined that the road plays an important role in facilitating smooth inter-state traffic movement.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday wrote a letter to Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, urging him to declare the 8.8-km long Mandi Road stretch — a vital link between the Capital and neighbouring Gurgaon and Faridabad — a national highway. The letter comes after several requests were sent by the Delhi government in the last one year to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to take over the project, and streamline the widening and upgradation of Mandi Road from MG Road to Delhi-Haryana Border, said officials.

In her letter, the CM underlined that the road plays an important role in facilitating smooth inter-state traffic movement. The CM pointed out that the Governing Body of the Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning & Engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC), the nodal agency aimed at enhancing mobility across the National Capital Territory (NCT), had supported the proposal at its 68th meeting held on September 27, 2023. “….Considering the road’s strategic significance, its existing and future traffic demand, and its direct connectivity with National Highway-148A, it should be considered for inclusion under the jurisdiction of the NHAI,” she said.

Urging Gadkari to consider the proposal “favourably”, the CM underlined that the move will strengthen connectivity across Delhi-NCR and give fresh momentum to regional economic growth.

Earlier, Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh had taken up the matter with the Centre. According to an official document, he wrote to Gadkari on January 8 this year in this regard. PWD, which currently maintains the stretch, had sent a request to the NHAI on June 13 last year. The matter was also raised in the 22nd meeting of the standing committee of the Northern Zonal Level. “Several requests have been sent, both written and verbal, in meeting but formal approval for the NHAI to take over the development and maintenance of as part of the regional highway expansion is still pending,” said a senior PWD official.

Why is this stretch important?

The proposal refers to a link road from MG Road (near Chattarpur Metro Station) to Gurgaon-Faridabad Road in Haryana (near Gwal Pahari). The stretch was handed over to PWD by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi in March 2012. “The road serves as a crucial link between the National Capital Territory of Delhi and the neighboring urban and economic centers of Gurgaon and Faridabad, thereby functioning as an important arterial route for inter-state traffic movement,” said an official.

In view of its strategic importance, existing and future traffic demand and its direct connectivity with NH-148A, the Delhi government requested the NHAI to take over the stretch to facilitate integrated planning, uniform standards, and timely upgradation of this corridor for improved commuter experience and for supporting regional economic growth.