Work on package two of Dwarka expressway in Delhi starts

Manoj Kumar, chief general manager, NHAI, said that the preparatory work on package two — a 4.5-km-long elevated road from Dwarka Sector 21 rail overbridge to the Haryana border — has started and the contractor is setting up a camp at the site.

The work on the much-delayed package two of the Dwarka Expressway has finally started, almost a month after the Delhi government gave a green signal to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for the 4.5km section of the expressway.

The work on the stretch has to be completed in 24 months as per the contract. (Parveen Kumar/HT PHOTO)

The work on the stretch could not get off the ground for almost 1.5 years due to a delay in getting approval from the Delhi government as it had strong reservations about cutting the trees on the project site. But it finally gave its approval for cutting trees on the stretch in the second week of July.

Manoj Kumar, chief general manager, NHAI, said that the preparatory work on package two — a 4.5-km-long elevated road from Dwarka Sector 21 rail overbridge to the Haryana border — has started and the contractor is setting up a camp at the site. “This is a key part of the project and initial preparations are being made to ensure that work on the main carriageway starts soon,” said Kumar.

The work on the stretch has to be completed in 24 months as per the contract.

At the site, earth moving machines are clearing the approach road to the main carriageway and boards demarcating the project site are also being installed near the Delhi-Haryana border, said highway officials. A 900-metre stretch that connects Delhi and Gurugram along the alignment of the Dwarka Expressway has also been started and testing of soil on the Dwarka side is also being carried out, they added.

The NHAI has granted the contract for this segment to J Kumar Infraprojects, a private contractor, at a cost of over ₹1,500 crore. The 29-km Dwarka Expressway will connect Shiv Murti at Mahipalpur to a point near Kherki Daula on the Delhi-Gurgaon expressway. Package one and two of the Dwarka Expressway are part of the 11-km Delhi corridor (the remaining 18-km falls in Haryana).

The package two will also have an interchange to facilitate the movement of vehicles from Najafgarh, Dwarka and west Delhi, as per the project report prepared by NHAI. It also states that this section will have eight elevated lanes and six surface lanes with multiple entry and exit points from Urban Estate Road-2 and the India International Convention Centre in Dwarka Sector 25. The stretch will also have a toll plaza.

Homebuyers who have invested in upcoming housing projects on the Dwarka Expressway, particularly those who protested over delay in construction of this stretch, have expressed their satisfaction on the development. “We have worked a lot on this both with Delhi and Haryana governments and NHAI. The start of work in Delhi is a major and positive development and it will boost sentiments,” said Prakhar Sahay, an activist.

Work on package three and four has already started in Gurugram, and will be completed by December 2020, officials had said earlier.