Dwarka Expressway: India's first elevated highway to open in 2024
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has revealed the Dwarka Expressway will be completed by April 2024. Once ready, it is expected to relieve some pressure on the Delhi-Gurugram Expressway (NH48), said the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) leader. Reportedly being built at Rs. 9,000 crore, it will be the country's first elevated eight-lane access-controlled expressway and connect Delhi's Dwarka and Haryana's Gurugram.
Key features of Dwarka Expressway
The expressway, which will start from NH48's Shiv Murti in Delhi and end at Kherki Daula Toll Plaza in Gurugram, is being constructed on a single pillar. It reportedly comprises a four-level road network with tunnels, underpasses, flyovers, grade roads, and elevated roads. Apart from these, a three-lane service road is also being built on both sides of the expressway.
Dwarka Expressway to have Intelligent Transport System
The Union minister, who inspected the structure recently, said the country's first eight-lane tunnel being constructed on this expressway would improve the connectivity between West Delhi and Haryana to the Indira Gandhi International Airport. Gadkari also revealed that the expressway will incorporate an Intelligent Transport System (ITS) facility to enhance the overall transportation experience.
12,000 trees transplanted on Dwarka Expressway: Gadkari
Gadkari also said that 12,000 trees had been transplanted on the expressway for the very first time in the country's history, reported The Times of India. Moreover, he had also revealed that two lakh metric tonnes of steel and two million cubic meters of concrete were being used for the construction of the expressway.
Gadkari provided update on Dwarka Expressway
"Divided into four packages, the first, 5.9km-long from Shiv Murti near Mahipalpur to Dwarka, is about 60% complete. The second package from the 4.2km-long Dwarka Urban Extension Road to Bajghera is 82% complete while the third package, 10.2km-long from Bajghera to Basai rail overbridge, is 93% complete," said Gadkari. "The fourth package, 8.7km-long from Basai ROB to Kherki Daula, is about 99% complete."
