Dwarka Expressway likely by Aug 15 next year

NEW DELHI:  The Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari on Thursday expressed hope that the 29-kilometre Dwarka Expressway project would be completed before next year’s Independence Day. The superhighway, termed as India’s first grade-separated urban expressway, is constructed under the Centre’s Bharatmala Project at a cost of Rs 8,662 crore.

After reviewing the progress, Gadkari said the expressway would help immensely in reducing air pollution in Delhi and the national capital region (NCR). According to the ministry, the Delhi-Gurugram section of National Highway 8, which is a part of the Delhi-Jaipur-Ahmedabad- Mumbai arm of the Golden Quadrilateral, presently carries traffic of over three lakh passenger car unit.

This is way beyond the designed capacity of the eight-lane highway, leading to severe congestion. Gadkari said construction of the the expressway would reduce traffic on NH 8 by 50 to 60 per cent and provide around 50,000 direct or indirect employment opportunities. Built in four packages, the length of the expressway is 29 kilometres. Of this, 18.9 km falls in Haryana, while the remaining is in Delhi.

The stretch starts from Shiv Murti on NH 8 in the national capital and culminates near Kherki Daula Toll Plaza in Gurugram. The project has a total estimated consumption of two lakh metric tonnes (MT) of steel, which is 30 times more than the Eiffel Tower. The total estimated consumption of concrete is 20 lakh cubic metres, six times more than what was used to construct Burj Khalifa.

The expressway has four levels tunnel, underpass, at-grade road, elevated flyover and flyover above flyover. Besides, a 9-kilometre long and 34-metre wide eight-lane flyover on a single pier with 6-lane service roads is one of its unique features. There will be a fully automated tolling system with a 22-lane toll plaza. The project will be equipped with an Intelligent Transportation System (ITS).

“Dwarka Expressway would also be the first project where the plantation of approximately 12,000 trees has been undertaken,” said the minister. He further said that “based on this experience, the method will be replicated across the country”.

30 times steel to be used than Eiffel Tower

The total length of Dwarka Expressway is 29 kilometres

The project is expected to use two lakh metric tonnes (MT) of steel, which is 30 times more than the Eiffel Tower

The total estimated consumption of concrete is 20 lakh cubic metres, six times more than Burj Khalifa