Chandigarh: The 29.6-km Dwarka Expressway, the country's first elevated expressway connecting Delhi and Gurugram (Haryana), is expected to be completed in approximately four months, announced Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday during site inspections.
The eight-lane access-controlled expressway, already 90% complete, is being constructed as a bypass to alleviate congestion on the national highway-8 (NH-8) between Delhi and Gurugram, with an estimated cost of around Rs 9,000 crore.
Project to be completed by April 2024
While Gadkari mentioned that the entire expressway would be open by December this year, a later statement from his ministry clarified that the entire project would be completed by April 2024.
As per available information, 99% of the work on the expressway section falling in Haryana, covering 18.9 km out of the total 29.6 km, has been finished, with the remaining stretch currently under progress. Equipped with a fully-automated tolling system integrated with GPS, the expressway is expected to significantly alleviate traffic congestion in Gurugram.
In addition to focusing on ensuring smooth traffic movement in the National Capital Region (NCR), led by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar's BJP-JJP government, efforts are underway to enhance 5,000 km of roads in Haryana. Notably, apart from the KMP Expressway and the expansion of the Delhi Metro to Gurugram and Ballabhgarh, a metro project connecting Gurugram and Faridabad has also been planned.
14 new bypasses
According to an official spokesperson, the state government has set a target to initiate the construction of 14 new bypasses in Haryana during 2023-2024 to alleviate congestion and enhance road safety.
Furthermore, considering the challenges faced by people due to traffic congestion at railway crossings, Chief Minister Khattar has directed officials to develop a new action plan to address the issue. As a part of this plan, Rohtak has already obtained a railway bypass with the completion of the elevated railway line project in the district. The spokesperson added that work on the elevated railway line project has also commenced in Kurukshetra, expected to conclude by the end of this year. Additionally, the state government has initiated a project for elevated railway lines in Bahadurgarh and Kaithal in Haryana.
