PM Modi to inaugurate two major highway projects in Delhi worth Rs 11,000 crore today

New Delhi, Aug 17 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate two major highway projects -- the Delhi sections of the Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II) and Dwarka Expressway -- worth Rs 11,000 crore on Sunday, as the Union government attempts to ease chronic traffic congestion in the national capital and improve connectivity across the National Capital Region (NCR).

The two major highway projects will be formally opened at a ceremony in northwest Delhi's Rohini, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) announced on Saturday.

"These initiatives reflect Prime Minister Modi's vision of creating world-class infrastructure that ensures seamless mobility," the PMO said.

Officials hope the new corridors will reduce travel times, divert freight traffic from the city centre and provide relief to Delhi's gridlocked Inner and Outer Ring Roads.

The flagship project is the 54.21km stretch of UER-II, running from Alipur through Bawana, Rohini, Mundka, Bakkarwala, Najafgarh and Dwarka to Dichaon Kalan at a cost of Rs 5,580 crore.

The six-lane highway, conceived as Delhi's third ring road under the Delhi Master Plan Road 2021, includes new links to Bahadurgarh and Sonipat.

The corridor is expected to ease traffic on Delhi's Inner and Outer Ring Roads and busy points, including Mukarba Chowk, Dhaula Kuan and NH-9.

The new spurs will improve industrial connectivity, cut city traffic and speed up goods movement in the NCR.

It will cut travel time from Indira Gandhi International Airport to various locations in southwest and northwest Delhi by 40 to 60 per cent, according to government estimates.

Officials say the route will provide faster connectivity for commuters travelling from Chandigarh to Gurugram and Delhi's IGI Airport.

Sections around Najafgarh, Mundka and Alipur have already opened in phases, benefiting previously undeveloped areas, including Karala, Alipur and Bawana.

The route provides quicker access to south Delhi, Noida and Faridabad whilst improving connectivity to areas such as Dwarka, Mahipalpur and Vasant Kunj.

The complete UER-II spans 76km -- 54.21km in Delhi and 21.5km in Haryana -- with a total construction cost of Rs 8,000 crore.

Declared as a national highway, the project is being implemented by the National Highways Authority of India in five packages, with the Delhi Development Authority funding the capital's section.

The second project is a 10.1km section of the Dwarka Expressway, built at Rs 5,360 crore.

The bypass of NH-48 Delhi-Gurugram Expressway includes an underpass near the airport and provides direct connectivity from IGI Airport to UER-II, Gurugram and Dwarka.

It provides a direct route to Yashobhoomi in Dwarka's Sector 25 and will also provide multi-modal connectivity to Delhi Metro's Blue and Orange Lines, the upcoming Bijwasan railway station and Dwarka cluster bus depot.

The construction of the Dwarka Expressway has already reduced travel time for areas in the capital such as Dwarka, Mahipalpur, Vasant Kunj and Najafgarh, enhancing connectivity to Gurugram and key locations like IGI Airport.

The Delhi section comprises two stretches: 5.9km from Shiv Murti intersection near the airport to Dwarka Sector 21, and 4.2km from Sector 21 to the Delhi-Haryana border. The route includes a tunnel to ensure uninterrupted traffic flow.

The 19km Haryana section of the Dwarka Expressway was inaugurated by the Prime Minister on March 11, 2024. The complete 28km corridor was constructed at Rs 8,611 crore.

Construction has incorporated environmental initiatives, with two million tonnes of waste from the Ghazipur landfill used in UER-II development, reducing the waste mountain's height by seven metres.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari highlighted this during Delhi Assembly election campaigning earlier this year.

"We are using inert materials recovered through biomining of legacy waste for highway construction to promote sustainable infrastructure," an NHAI official said.

"These inert materials such as soil, silt, stones and construction debris are stable and suitable for embankment filling, subgrade layering and service roads," the official added.

The inert material is also being used for other projects, including the DND-Faridabad Bailabgarh Sohna bypass, aimed at reducing landfill volume, conserving natural resources and lowering construction costs and carbon emissions.

Delhi Chief minister Rekha Gupta, along with senior officials and party leaders, visited the inauguration site on Saturday to review the preparations and issued necessary instructions.

She described the projects as a "historic gift" for the city.

"The commencement of UER-II will play a vital role in reducing congestion, improving industrial corridor network, lowering vehicular pollution and thereby contributing to a cleaner and healthier environment," CM Gupta said.

"UER-II is not just an infrastructure project; it is an investment in the future of Delhi. It will improve traffic flow, cut travel time drastically, and uplift the quality of life for lakhs of people living in Delhi and NCR," she added.

She also emphasised the long-distance connectivity that UER-II will bring, saying the route will integrate with the Delhi-Jaipur national highway, KMP Expressway, and Gurugram-Sohna Highway, which connects to the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway.

"Travel to Chandigarh, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Jaipur, and even Mumbai will become faster and more convenient. It is truly a transformative project," she added.

"With this network, UER-II will emerge as a backbone of high-speed connectivity, linking Delhi not just with NCR but with the entire nation," CM Gupta said.

The projects are part of the government's broader plan to decongest the national capital, though transport experts have previously questioned whether new roads provide lasting relief or simply shift bottlenecks to other locations.

--IANS

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