Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, while inaugurating phase 3 of the Delhi-Meerut Expressway (DME) on Monday, said projects taken up by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in the past three-four years will serve as a “growth engine” for western Uttar Pradesh.
Apart from the 82km DME, the NHAI is also taking up construction of 31.2km of a six-lane, access-controlled highway which will connect Akshardham with Baghpat in western Uttar Pradesh and is pegged at ₹2,815 crore. The other project is National Highway-235, which is proposed to connect Bulandshahr, Hapur and Meerut via a six-lane highway.
NHAI officials said with connectivity improving, commuters will be able to save up on time and fuel and reach Delhi within 40-50 minutes from any of these destinations with the help of the new highways.
“These road projects will also fuel growth, as many industries and other ancillary activities can come up nearby. The DME will act as a growth engine for western UP. Traders and cloth manufacturers from western UP can use the DME and reach Delhi in lesser time. Since many highway projects are coming up in UP, I also seek intervention of the state government to allow projects where existing bus stations can be converted to modern stations, and we are ready to provide the technology for this,” Gadkari said.
“We are already taking up the Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway project and also have a proposed Hapur-Kanpur Highway. Overall, people from western UP will be able to reach Lucknow through the highway. We have ample opportunities for setting up of petrol, CNG and even electric vehicle charging stations near highways. This will provide employment as well as prove as a growth engine for the region,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}“We are already taking up the Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway project and also have a proposed Hapur-Kanpur Highway. Overall, people from western UP will be able to reach Lucknow through the highway. We have ample opportunities for setting up of petrol, CNG and even electric vehicle charging stations near highways. This will provide employment as well as prove as a growth engine for the region,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}To provide more connectivity to the region, Meerut MP Rajendra Agrawal raised the issue of connecting the DME with the under-construction NH-235.
Union minister of state for road transport and highways, General (retired) VK Singh, also raised a request to Gadkari for construction of two additional footover bridges at Dasna and Chijarsi, under DME phase 3.
Gadkari, on the request of MP Agrawal, asked Gen (retd) Singh to discuss the linking in an upcoming meeting and also gave a nod for the two additional footover bridges under phase 3.