Ghaziabad: The farmers’ agitation will delay work on the second and fourth phases of the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, which the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had planned to get ready by February.
On the UP Gate to Dasna section of the road, 94% of the work is complete and on the Dasna-Meerut stretch, 92% construction is over. Due to the farmers’ protest, the two sections of DME that are open (phase 1 and 3) have been shut for more than two months.
“Except for minor things, most of the construction is over and since December, we have been planning to finish the two remaining packages of DME — UP Gate-Dasna and Dasna-Meerut stretches,” said Mudit Garg, the project director. “More than 90% work is complete on the two stretches and we were prepared to commission both sections by February-end. But due to the farmers’ agitation that seems unlikely,” Garg added.
The NHAI had earlier opened at 10 km of stretch of the road between UP Gate and Dasna.
The UP Gate protest site is right on the expressway and a 5 km stretch on the road has been shut for the past two months. “We have no clue as to how long DME will remain occupied,” Garg said.