Centre grants nod for 3 key projects worth Rs 14,850 crore to boost connectivity in Delhi-NCR, decongest internal roads
The Centre has approved three major infrastructure projects worth Rs 14,850 crore that will improve travel to the National Capital Region and cut down the time taken for Delhiites to reach destinations like Katra and Dehradun.
The upcoming projects will decongest major stretches in South East, South West and East Delhi, like the Barapullah flyover, Ring Road, and Outer Ring Road (ORR), besides other internal roads, and connect areas like Dwarka, ORR, Sarai Kale Khan, Kalindi Kunj and other key arterial stretches to Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad and Gurgaon.
Extension of Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway
Under one of the three mega infrastructure projects, the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra National Expressway (NE-5) will be extended from Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway to Urban Extension Road (UER)-II (NH-344M) in Delhi and Haryana.
The 20-km stretch will provide Expressway connectivity through UER-II, Dwarka Expressway, and Delhi-Mumbai Expressway to traffic from Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, and Punjab transiting towards Central and Western India. The extension is expected to cost Rs 4,000 crore, said an official.
'This stretch will provide direct connectivity to traffic headed to Delhi, Gurgaon and IGI Airport from the Delhi-Katra expressway through UER-II and Dwarka Expressway. The highway will provide alternative connectivity for UER-II with the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway,' said a senior official.
Officials said that work has been awarded for the preparation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR). Once it is approved, tendering process for the civil works will begin.
After the completion of this highway, the Delhi-Katra Expressway may also serve as an alternative route to NH-44, officials said, adding that this will also divert vehicles from other states and curb vehicular pollution in Delhi. With this, people living border or outer parts of the city can reach the airport quickly.
Extension of UER-II near Alipur
The UER-II – also known as the third Ring Road of Delhi – near Alipur will be extended till the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway (NH-709B) near Tronica City in Ghaziabad, said officials. The 17-km-long extension is expected to cost Rs 3,350 crore.
'This will also act as a bypass to NH-44, and Delhi Outer and Inner Ring Roads, as traffic destined to move to North, North West, West and South Delhi and Gurgaon will travel through UER-II and Gurgaon and Dwarka Expressway to reach their destinations, thereby decongesting Delhi,' said a senior official.
UER-II is almost complete, and it is likely to be thrown open to the public before August this year.
Officials added that connecting UER-II to the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway will also decongest the Capital by diverting long-distance and freight traffic away from central roads, easing pressure on NH-48, NH-44, and ring roads, along with the Barapullah drain elevated corridor.
'It will provide faster connectivity to traffic from Haryana and Rajasthan, destined to move towards Dehradun… Currently, the bids for DPR consultants are under evaluation and will likely be awarded this week,' said officials.
Eastern extension of UER-II
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) also has plans to extend the Eastern part of UER-II from Delhi-Dehradun Expressway to Noida via Ghaziabad and Faridabad. The 65-km extension is set to cost Rs 7,500 crore.
This highway will connect major roads such as the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway, Delhi-Meerut Expressway, Noida-Greater Noida Expressway, DND-Faridabad highway and Yamuna Expressway. It will also boost connectivity to towns such as Loni, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Noida, and Faridabad with North, North West, West and South West Delhi.
Officials said the stretch will also help decongest Delhi's internal roads, including the ORR, Sarai Kale Khan section of the Delhi-Meerut Expressway and Kalindi Kunj, by providing a high-speed alternative route for intercity and freight traffic, bypassing the city centre. 'Currently, bids for preparation of the DPR are under evaluation and will likely be awarded by June 20 this year,' said officials.
The projects, to be executed by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), were also discussed in a meeting held last week between the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, and L-G Vinai Kumar Saxena.
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