Rs 31,930 cr initiatives to decongest Delhi, says Nitin Gadkari

New Delhi, Jan 7: Major projects entailing an investment of Rs 31,930 crore are in the pipeline to decongest the national capital, including development of the Dwarka Expressway at a cost of Rs 6,000 crore, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said.

The initiatives, some of which are progressing fast, are in line with the Modi government's vision to ensure seamless flow of traffic in the National Capital Region (NCR) besides minimising vehicular pollution, Road Transport and Highways Minister Gadkari told PTI.

"We have undertaken projects worth Rs 31,930 crore to decongest Delhi and the NCR region and minimise vehicular pollution, which has become a major problem," the minister said. Work on the Rs 12,000 crore Eastern Peripheral Expressway and Rs 6,000 crore Delhi-Meerut Expressway is on full swing and bids have been invited for the Rs 6,000 crore project for development of Dwarka Expressway, he said.

"Work has already been awarded for decongestion of Dhaula Kuan-airport corridor to be executed at a cost of Rs 260 crore besides detailed project report (DPR) is in progress for Rs 5,000 crore new ring road project (UER II) for Delhi," Gadkari said.

Last month, chairing a high-level meeting attended by Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, among others, Gadkari had asked officials to expedite the Urban Extension Road (UER) project. It was also decided that the extra cost of UER II, phase one will be shared by NHAI and DDA on a 50:50 basis. Master Plan for Delhi has proposed UER II, which connects National Highways 1, 10 and 8. This road was proposed to reduce traffic on the Ring Road and Outer Ring Road. It was also decided that DDA will hand over encumbrance free land.

Gadkari said apart from UER II, bids have been invited for development of Gurgaon-Sohna road with elevated highway/ six-lane road with service roads. The project will cost Rs 1,500 crore. Besides these projects, "90 per cent progress have been achieved in development of major injunctions on NH 8 in Gurgaon to be executed at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore and construction of a flyover at Hero Honda Chowk entailing Rs 170 crore cost," the minister said.

About Delhi-Meerut Expressway, he said its first leg which includes India's first 14-lane highway and 2.5 metre- wide cycle track, is set to be inaugurated anytime now. The minister said it is being completed in a record 14 months as against the scheduled 30 months and will reduce the travel time significantly from Delhi to Meerut to just 45 minutes from three-four hours at present.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on December 31, 2015 laid the foundation stone of the expressway. As far as the Eastern Peripheral Expressway is concerned, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has recently told the Supreme Court that hurdles in its ongoing construction have been resolved in a "satisfactory manner" in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.

The 135-km-long expressway envisages signal-free connectivity between Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gautam Budh Nagar (Greater Noida) and Palwal.

PTI