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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\nTimes News Network<\/span>New Delhi: In a letter to Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari<\/a>, CM Rekha Gupta has called for declaring the 8.8-km Mandi Road in south Delhi<\/a> a national highway and entrusting its development to National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). She said that bringing the road under the national highway network will strengthen connectivity across Delhi-NCR and provide fresh momentum to regional economic growth.In her letter, Gupta stated that Mandi Road is a strategically important transport corridor connecting the Mehrauli-Gurugram Road (NH-148A) near Chhatarpur Metro station with the Gurugram-Faridabad Road at the Delhi-Haryana border. She added that the road serves as a vital link between Delhi and the neighbouring economic centres of Gurugram and Faridabad, and will facilitate smooth inter-state traffic movement.The CM said that given the road\u2019s existing and future traffic demands, it should be brought under the jurisdiction of the NHAI for an integrated development plan, uniform engineering standards and the timely upgradation of the corridor.Gupta highlighted that the governing body of Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning & Engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC), at its 68th meeting on Sep 27, 2023, had recognised the strategic importance of Mandi Road and supported the proposal for its widening and comprehensive development, a statement from CMO said.South Delhi MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said the move would provide better and smoother travel for commuters as the road is widely used as an alternative route to avoid congestion on the main highways connecting south Delhi with Haryana\u2019s commercial hubs. He added that it also serves as a key corridor for the movement of goods and commercial freight to regional industrial zones.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n