The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) is working on projects worth Rs 65,000 crore to reduce traffic congestion and pollution in Delhi.
Out of these, projects worth Rs 25,000 crore have been completed whereas, projects worth Rs 33,000 crore are in progress. A total of projects worth Rs 6,000 crore are under consideration for implementation.
Bordered by Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, the National Capital territory (NCT) of Delhi has a convergence of five major national highways (NH). Over the years vehicles and pollution levels have increased exponentially, resulting in severe traffic congestion.
To save Delhi through decongestion, the Road Transport Ministry and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) have taken up the comprehensive exercise of widening, upgradation and development of the arterial NH network in the National Capital.
As part of this, the Centre has built a network of an expressway, underpasses and a flyover quickly spread out along Eastern Peripheral with a cost of Rs 12,000 crore in 2018. The 135km passageway, called as Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) was followed by the construction of an 8-lane corridor from Dhaula Kuan to the IGIA in 2020.
A look at the other ongoing project, their importance and current status:
1. Dwarka Expressway
Part of the Bharatmala project, the 29.6-km-long Dwarka Expressway- the country’s first elevated one — is being built as a bypass to decongest the NH8 between Delhi and Gurgaon at a cost of nearly 9,000 crore.
While 18.9 km of the section lies in Haryana, 10.1 km lies in Delhi.
The 8-lane access-controlled expressway is 75- 90 per cent complete and is likely to be finished in three-four month.
The project also includes a “3.6-km tunnel, the country’s widest 8-lane tunnel, which will make commuting from Dwarka to IGI Airport Terminal 3 possible in five minutes”.
While it will cut travel time to the airport for residents of Haryana and West Delhi, it would provide direct access to the upcoming India International Convention Centre in Dwarka Sector 25.
2. Urban Extension Road (UER) II
The six-lane access-controlled highway is being developed by the NHAI as a component of the Delhi Decongestion Plan, at a capital cost of Rs 7716 crore.
The UER-II will connect NH-1 to Dwarka and Bahadurgarh and form the third Ring Road of Delhi along the Western boundary.
The UER-II takes off from NH 1 near village Bankoli and terminates near the junction of Sector 24 in Dwarka. The route will connect NH-1 with NH-8 passing through Bawana Industrial Area, Rohini, Mundka Industrial Area, Najafgarh and Dwarka.
The total length of UER-II is 46.5 km, out of which 38.11 km is taken up as part of this project and a part alignment is being taken up with alignment of Dwarka Expressway. The complete length of the corridor falls in Delhi.
While the NHAI had set a deadline of October 2023, the project is expected to be complete by December this year.
3. DND Interchange
A new six-lane elevated corridor is currently being developed from DND Maharani Bagh to the Junction with the Jaitpur-Pushta Road Section of NH-148NA.
The 9km road from DND Flyway to Jaitpur in south Delhi along the Yamuna River is being built at a cost of Rs 7000 crore, and scheduled for completion by April 2024.
This highway will serve as a primary route for traffic flow between Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, and will improve the connectivity of North/East Delhi with Noida and Ghaziabad.
It will also connect with major highways such as Direct Noida-Delhi flyways, Delhi-Meerut, Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP), NH-2 (Delhi-Agra), Delhi Mumbai Expressway, and Jewar airport.
4. Akshardham to Intersection of Eastern Peripheral Expressway
The 31.2-km-long six-lane, access-controlled corridor from Akshardham in East Delhi to the EPE junction on Baghpat Road is chasing a December 2023 deadline and aims to decongest Delhi and Ghaziabad city.
The 3,500-crore project is being developed in two packages – 14.75km from Akshardham to near Loni and 16.45 km from UP Gate to Khekra near Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) in Baghpat.
Of the total length of 31.2 km, some 17 km will be elevated. The project is expected to be ready by December 2023.
5. Widening of Delhi-Panipat Highway
The NHAI has undertaken the widening work of a 70-kilometer stretch from Mukarba Chowk in Delhi to Panipat on NH-44 at a cost of Rs 2178 crore.
The project has been delayed by almost three years and is 97 percent complete. As part of this, a total of 11 flyovers were inaugurated in June 2023, thereby completing the main carriageway of the project.
The project is scheduled for completion by April 2023, but the ministry has targeted to operationalise the stretch by end of this year. The completion of the main eight-lane corridor has significantly reduced travel time by one hour for straight-going traffic.
6, Improvement of Delhi-Jaipur Road
The 225-km Delhi-Jaipur Highway is being revamped at a cost of Rs 1,300 crore to help improve transport infrastructure and ease the commute.
Of the Rs 1300 crore, Rs 513 crore will be spent on constructing 16 structures that include flyovers, bridges, underpasses on the highway, while Rs 800 crore will be spent on repairing and improving the highway itself.
The project is 70 per cent complete and is scheduled for completion by August 2023.
7. Four Laning of Gohana-Sonipat
The four-laning of Gohana-Sonipat section of NH-352A under Bharatmala Pariyojana is being undertaken at a cost of Rs 2,000 crore. The 39-km-long road is 73 per cent complete and will be operational in the next two-three months.
The vast network of the redesigned roads, new flyovers, underpasses and foot overbridges will decongest the high-traffic density hotspots and will be a major step towards improvising the livability of India’s capital city.