The Delhi government will construct central verges on three road stretches of the capital at the cost of Rs 18.19 crore to ensure the safety of commuters, an official statement said on Wednesday.

The central verges will come up on the Rohtak Road (NH10), MP road number 142 in Mayur Vihar Phase 3 and Kotla road, it said.

Approving the projects, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said, "Safety of commuters on Delhi roads is the priority of the Delhi government and the Public Works Department is continuously working to improve the city's road infrastructure to ensure this.

"The department is regularly exploring new strategies to improve safety and aesthetics of all Delhi roads and is therefore creating a new central verge design that is aligned with global best practices." He added that officials have been directed to ensure that the design of the central verge adheres to all necessary standards and codes and should include well-trimmed and maintained shrubbery wherever feasible.

Central verges give an aesthetic function in addition to providing better road safety. They work to prohibit the entry of vehicles in specific dangerous areas. They are one of the effective ways of controlling dense and high-speed traffic on roads, the statement said. These central verges will be constructed from the Zakhira roundabout to the Tikri border on Rohtak Road (NH 10), MP Road No 142, Mayur Vihar Phase 3 and from the Police station to Khichripur Bus Stand on Kotla Road, the statement added.

PWD officials have been directed to ensure that the new medians are of a single colour with reflectors mounted at regular intervals, it said.

Their design will be in compliance with the latest IRC/UTTIPEC guidelines and where space permits, well trimmed and maintained shrubbery will be planted in the median. Additionally, at junctions and U-turns there will be a drop in height of the median to ensure improved visibility, the statement added.