May 3, 2024: The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is expected to make the first phase of the Delhi-Dehradun greenfield access-controlled expressway, from Akshardham in Delhi to Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh operational by the end of June 2024, as per media reports. According to the officials, more than 95% work on the stretch, comprising two packages, has been completed.
The estimated cost of the 14.75-kilometre (km) Akshardham to Loni corridor is Rs 1,300 crore and that of the 16-km Loni to Baghpat is Rs 1,900 crore. A stretch of around 20 km of the expressway between Delhi’s Shastri Park and Loni will be an elevated six-lane corridor, which is expected to ease the regular snarls.
Once the first two packages of the expressway are operational, it will reduce travel time between Delhi and Baghpat from 2 hours to 20 minutes, an NHAI official said, as cited in a TOI report.Â
At present, commuters have to pass through the busy Shastri Park area in Delhi and congested pockets of Loni to reach Baghpat.
Earlier, this section was expected to be ready by March 2024, but restrictions on construction activities under the graded response action plan (Grap) to control air pollution caused delays, the official said as per an HT report.
The Delhi-Dehradun Expressway is an under-construction, six-lane expressway spanning 212 km. The project is being developed at a total cost of Rs 13,000 crore. The project received approval from the central government in 2020. The high-speed corridor has both ground-level and elevated sections. As per officials, it will enable ease connectivity between Delhi and Dehradun, reducing travel time from the current 5 hours to 2-and-a-half hours.
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