15 projects worth ₹53,000 cr underway to curb traffic jams, pollution in Delhi

Union ministry of road and transport is working on 15 projects worth ₹53,000 crore to reduce the traffic jam ad air pollution problems in Delhi-NCR, claimed union minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday. He said this while reviewing the progress of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway (DME).

Delhi-NCR is known for massive traffic congestion on a daily basis. This also contributes to a huge air pollution level in the national capital region, which especially increases every year during winter. The government is claimed to be working on multiple road projects to reduce the vehicular burden from the city. With these new projects, a large number of vehicles that pass through the city might be diverted to avoid congestion.

Talking about the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, which will reduce road travel time from Delhi to Mumbai from 24 hours to 12 hours, Gadkari hinted that there would be a speed limit of 120 kmph in future. However, initially, the expressway will see a speed limit of 100 kmph. He also indicated the government might add four more lanes to the expressway over and above the eight lanes, depending on the incremental traffic volume.

This eight-lane expressway will connect multiple states such as Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra. The DME is expected to be completed by March 2023. It is being built as the first phase of Bharatmala Pariyojana. Being developed at a cost of ₹98,000 crores, the 1,380 km long Delhi-Mumbai Expressway is going to be the longest expressway in India, once completed.

The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway will also connect Jewar Airport near NCR, Jawaharlal Nehru Port near Mumbai. The expressway is claimed to improve connectivity to economic hubs such as Jaipur, Ajmer, Kota, Udaipur, Bhopal, Ujjain, Indore, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat etc.

The construction of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway was kick-started back in 2018, with its foundation stone being laid on March 9, 2019.