Dwarka Expressway set to open soon. But there's a catch

Dwarka Expressway could soon be open for traffic as a section of India's first elevated urban expressway is likely to start operations in the next few weeks. According to National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials, the Gurugram section of the expressway is expected to be opened by the first week of March. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari recently said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to inaugurate the Dwarka Expressway by next month.

Gadkari recently said that the construction work of the Dwarka Expressway is nearing completion. Local authorities said finishing touches are being given to the expressway that is expected to ease traffic flow between Delhi and Gurugram in coming days. Minor works like installing street lights, marking lanes on the road are being done which is expected to be completed within a couple of weeks. However, it may take longer to complete the Delhi section of the expressway.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari recently surveyed the construction work at the Dwarka Expressway. He said about 85 per cent of the work has been completed. “We have requested the Prime Minister to inaugurate the completed packages of UER-II and Dwarka Expressway. I hope that in the next 10-12 days we will get his time and inaugurate these roads," Gadkari added.

The Dwarka Expressway, also known as the Northern Peripheral Road, is a 29-km 16-lane expressway, connecting Dwarka in Delhi to Gurugram in Haryana. It starts at Shiv-Murti on NH-8 or the Delhi-Gurugram Expressway, and ends near Kherki Daula Toll Plaza, through Dwarka Sector 21, Gurugram border and Basai. Around 19 kms of the expressway falls in Haryana while the rest of the 10-km stretch is in Delhi. The Dwarka Expressway will also have the longest and widest urban road tunnel measuring 3.6-km in length and 8 lanes in width.

The new expressway is expected to help commuters with an alternate route to reach the Indira Gandhi International Airport. It will also help to reduce about 50 per cent traffic on National Highway 8.

The Dwarka Expressway is also megastructure marvel with unique features. Developed at a cost of ₹9,000 crore, it will use around 2 lakh metric tonne of steel which is 30 times more than what was used to build the iconic Eiffel Tower. The expressway will also use around 20 lakh cubic metre of concrete which is 6 times higher than what was used to build Burj Khalifa, world's tallest building.