New Delhi: In a significant push to alleviate the city’s chronic traffic congestion, both Delhi govt and central govt have joined forces on a series of key infrastructure projects aimed at improving connectivity and easing traffic snarls across the capital and its surrounding areas. The National Highways Authority of India will take up six major road projects passing through Delhi, decongesting 128km at a cost of Rs 23,850 crore.The plans include a 17km link from NH344M to Tronica City and a 65km eastern extension of Urban Extension Road II connecting the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway to Noida via Ghaziabad and Faridabad. A 5km tunnel from Mahipalpur to Nelson Mandela Marg and a 20km elevated corridor from AIIMS to Faridabad Road aim to decongest south and central Delhi. A new interchange at Kalindi Kunj and a 20km extension of the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway complete the Rs 27,000 crore initiative.These projects will divert long-distance traffic from central Delhi, reduce pressure on NH44 and NH48, and improve regional connectivity with faster access to key expressways. The Kalindi Kunj interchange will ease movement between Delhi, Noida and Faridabad.Senior officials said that while NHAI is executing the construction work, Delhi govt will help with issues related to acquisition and hindrances coming in the way of development. Also, the state has been told to assist in issues related to obtaining necessary permissions and clearances related to environmental, traffic, and urban planning regulations. Additionally, they will help manage traffic diversions and public communication to minimise disruption during construction. Coordination with police and municipal agencies for security and sanitation around the project site is another key area of support, an official said.Officials said that Delhi govt would also monitor project progress and ensure timely completion. “The collaboration between the Centre and state govt will enhance project efficiency, reduce delays, and ultimately benefit public infrastructure development in the city,” he said. The initiative covers a total length of 128km and includes critical projects like the extension of the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway (NE-5) from KMPE to UER-II, the eastern extension of UER-II connecting to Noida via Ghaziabad and Faridabad, and the construction of a 5km road tunnel from Dwarka Expressway to Nelson Mandela Marg in Vasant Kunj.The Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway extension, with a budget of Rs 4,000 crore, will provide seamless expressway connectivity for traffic from Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana, and Punjab towards Delhi, Gurgaon and Indira Gandhi International Airport. Similarly, the 65km eastern extension of UER-II is set to connect major roads and bypass Delhi’s internal traffic hotspots by providing an alternative route to ease congestion on arterial roads such as Outer Ring Road and Sarai Kale Khan.Another project under close watch is the construction of a 5km underground road tunnel linking Dwarka Expressway with Nelson Mandela Marg. This Rs 3,500-crore tunnel aims to decongest key sections like Dhaula Kuan and Rao Tula Ram Marg by offering a direct, signal-free corridor between Dwarka/Gurgaon and south Delhi.Additionally, the elevated corridor stretching 20km from AIIMS to Mahipalpur Bypass and further extending to Gurgaon-Faridabad Road, with a cost of Rs 5,000 crore, will act as a parallel corridor easing traffic load on NH48 and connecting major city routes more efficiently. Apart from these, there are plans for the construction of a crucial interchange at Kalindi Kunj intersection, a notorious congestion point linking Delhi-Noida Road and Agra Canal Road near Okhla Barrage.Govt officials said that the complete blueprint of the project was shared by Union minister Nitin Gadkari with CM Rekha Gupta, with officials given instructions to work in a synchronised way for the decongestion of the capital.
