New Delhi, 01 July (H.S.): The Union Cabinet has approved the construction of a six-lane road tunnel linking the Dwarka Expressway with Nelson Mandela Road in Vasant Kunj, a major infrastructure project aimed at improving connectivity between western and southern parts of the national capital. The 8.1-km project has an estimated cost of Rs 6,969.67 crore (approximately Rs 69.7 billion).
The approval was granted on Wednesday by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The project involves the development of National Highway (NH)-148AE as a connector to NH-248BB and will be executed under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) as part of the National Highways (Original) programme.
The proposed tunnel will pass beneath the Rangpuri Ridge. It will begin at the Shiv Murti Interchange and terminate before the junction of Nelson Mandela Road and the Mahipalpur–Chhatarpur Road.
Addressing a press conference at the National Media Centre, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the project would provide faster connectivity between the Dwarka Expressway and Vasant Kunj in South Delhi, significantly improving traffic movement between western and southern Delhi.
He said the tunnel would also benefit commuters travelling from Gurugram, Dwarka, Indira Gandhi International Airport and West Delhi towards South Delhi by easing congestion and reducing travel time.
According to the government, the underground twin-tube tunnel has been designed to minimise surface disruption while protecting the environmentally sensitive Southern Ridge forest area. Around 1.98 km of the tunnel alignment will pass beneath the Ridge.
The project also includes a proposed elevated corridor between the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), and Mahipalpur. This corridor will connect the tunnel to the Barapullah Elevated Road, improving connectivity between West and South Delhi and extending seamless access to East Delhi, Ghaziabad and Noida.
To reduce congestion at the Nelson Mandela Road intersection, the project includes a 1.8-km elevated road along the corridor. An additional flyover has also been proposed alongside the existing flyover to facilitate traffic moving from Chhatarpur towards Mahipalpur. An elevated U-turn will be constructed to improve traffic flow for vehicles turning right from the Chhatarpur side.
The main carriageway will extend for 6.3 km, while the inclusion of the proposed flyover and elevated U-turn on the Mahipalpur–Chhatarpur Road will bring the project's total length to 8.1 km.
The project comprises a 3.14-km tunnel, a 0.98-km tunnel approach ramp, a 0.554-km reinforced earth wall approach, a 2.556-km elevated section and a 0.87-km at-grade road.
Vaishnaw said that, on average, every lane-kilometre of National Highway development generates approximately 264 person-days of direct employment and 55 person-days of indirect employment. The project is expected to create around 754,000 person-days of direct employment and approximately 980,000 person-days of indirect employment. He added that increased economic activity along the proposed high-speed corridor is expected to generate additional employment opportunities in the surrounding areas.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
