Delhi: Vasant Kunj tunnel work likely to start in 2026

The tunnel will be built by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) at an estimated cost of ₹3,500 crore

The construction of a new underground tunnel connecting Shiv Murti–Mahipalpur (Dwarka Expressway) to Nelson Mandela Road in Vasant Kunj in south Delhi is likely to begin early next year, with all clearances for the project in advanced stages, officials said on Sunday. The five-kilometre-long tunnel will redefine commute in the congested parts of south Delhi, chief minister Rekha Gupta said on Sunday.

Nelson Mandela Road. (HT Archive)

The tunnel will be built by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) at an estimated cost of ₹3,500 crore. The tunnel is part of a larger infrastructure push under the “double engine government”, Gupta added.

“This tunnel is the foundation for the Delhi of the future. We are committed to making Delhi congestion-free and clean. The construction of this tunnel will reduce the burden on roads, eliminate traffic signals and save fuel,” Gupta said.

The tunnel will provide a seamless, signal-free connection between south Delhi and Dwarka-Gurugram, easing pressure on key stretches such as Nelson Mandela Road, Mahipalpur, Rangpuri, and the chronically jammed National Highway 48 near Dhaula Kuan and Rao Tula Ram Marg, officials said.

According to officials, the tunnel will consist of two underground tubes — one for each direction — with three lanes each, allowing for six-lane traffic movement beneath the city’s surface.

Apart from decongesting existing road networks, the tunnel is also expected to play a critical role in pollution mitigation by offering a faster, signal-free route and reducing idling time for vehicles, officials said.

Gupta described the project as a symbol of effective Centre-state coordination, thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari for their support. “The national capital is now reaping the benefits of double-engine governance,” Gupta said.

Earlier this week, the Delhi government had announced that six major infrastructure projects worth ₹24,000 crore have been approved by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).

Officials involved with the project said the tunnel will be equipped with modern safety and operational technologies, including electro-mechanical systems, ventilation, CCTV surveillance and emergency exits. Once constructed, the tunnel is expected to connect central and east Delhi to multiple major highways such as the Delhi Expressway (NE-5), NH-44, NH-10, NH-48 (Delhi-Jaipur Highway), and NH-709B (Delhi-Dehradun Expressway), via the Urban Extension Road (UER) and Dwarka Expressway.

In December 2023, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) had submitted a report to MoRTH saying that residents of south Delhi had raised concerns that the tunnel could have an adverse impact on forest and environment, and possibly damage houses in the area.

According to a previous report of the ministry, the tunnel will pass through 5.825 hectares of area, which comes under the southern Ridge, and another 1.68 hectares of a deemed forest, for which permission has been applied under the Forest Conservation Act (FCA), 1980 for felling of 417 trees, against which compensatory afforestation will be done. In November 2022, the Delhi’s Ridge Management Board (RMB) cleared the project, and further recommended it to the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), which cleared it in June 2023, and the Supreme Court gave the final approval in October last year.