Gurugram (Haryana) | Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated 19-km long Haryana section of Dwarka Expressway, which will improve traffic flow and ease congestion between Delhi and Gurugram on NH-48 and will also boost economic activities in the National Capital Region.
The total length of Dwarka Expressway is 29 kilometre, out of which 18.9 km falls in Haryana, while the remaining 10.1 km is in Delhi.
On March 9, 2019, the then Union ministers, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and Nitin Gadkari had laid the foundation stone for Dwarka Expressway.
Addressing a gathering after inaugurating the Haryana section of the expressway, Modi said this will change the travel experience between Delhi and Haryana forever and will shift gear not just in vehicles but also in the lives of the people of the region.
"The inauguration of the Haryana section of Dwarka Expressway and the launch of 112 National Highway projects mark a milestone in the country's infrastructure development "Dwarka Expressway will boost economic activities in the National Capital Region," he said.
The prime minister mentioned many long-pending projects that were completed by the present government such as Eastern Peripheral Expressway (announced in 2008 completed in 2018). Dwarka Expressway too was stuck for the last 20 years.
“Today, whatever work our government lays the foundation stone for, it works equally hard to complete it on time. And then we do not see whether there are elections or not," he said.
Modi added that projects like laying down of lakhs of kilometres of optic fibers in villages, airports in small cities, rural roads, were completed irrespective of the election time.
The prime minister also held a road show here.
"Construction of expressways opens a lot of opportunities for rural India and Dwarka Expressway is itself a big example (of it)," he said.
The prime minister said his government has successfully completed big infrastructure projects on time.
"My government has completed big infrastructure projects, including Dwarka Expressway, Eastern Peripheral Expressway, Delhi–Meerut Expressway on time.
"These projects, along with the expansion of metro lines and the construction of international airports, are aimed at easing traffic congestion and reducing pollution in the region," he asserted.
The prime minister also noted that development of good roads also helps 2-wheeler and 4-wheeler automobile companies.
"Construction of expressways also helps development of industrial corridors which creates more employment opportunities." The prime minister said the union government is focusing on construction of 9,000 km of high-speed-access controlled highways, out of which construction of 4,000 km has been completed.
He reminisced how, in the past, the area where the expressway is now built was considered unsafe, with people avoiding it even after sunset.
However, today, it serves as a hub for major corporations, contributing to the rapid development of the National Capital Region (NCR).
Dwarka Expressway is India's first elevated 8-lane access control urban expressway, being constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 9,000 crore, as part of the Centre's Rs 60,000 crore highway development plan in the NCR to decongest the national capital.
The Haryana section of Dwarka Expressway has been built at a cost of around Rs 4,100 crore and includes two packages of 10.2-km Delhi-Haryana Border to Basai Rail-over-Bridge (ROB) and 8.7-km Basai ROB to Kherki Daula.
It will also provide direct connectivity to the IGI Airport in Delhi and Gurugram Bypass.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari were present at the event.
Gadkari said Dwarka Expressway is a state-of-art project.
"The government saved 20 per cent in construction cost against estimates in awarding contracts of Dwarka Expressway," Gadkari said.
He also said there were projects worth Rs 65,000 crore in Delhi and its nearby areas for construction of roads, highways and expressways.
Out of these, projects worth Rs 35,000 crore have been completed and the rest will be completed by December, he added.
Dwarka Expressway, with its eight lanes (four on each side), is built on a single pier.
The expressway's design prohibits ribbon development along its course, ensuring no shops or houses encroach upon its path.
Access to the main speedway is facilitated through sector roads connected to interchanges, minimising disruptions and congestion.
Once fully operational, Dwarka Expressway will be the fifth expressway to be operational in NCR in the past six years.
It is being build by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to cater to heavy traffic requirements between Delhi and Gurugram for the next 25 years.
