NHAI plans to complete 2 major stretches of Delhi-Meerut expressway by March-end

The NHAI officials said they will also complete the UP Gate-Vijay Nagar stretch of the expressway, which falls under the phase-II of the project, by the stipulated time of March-end as per the renewed timeline.

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials have said that they have a target of March-end to complete all work related to Phase-III of the Delhi-Meerut Expressway — connecting Dasna in Ghaziabad with Hapur. The official deadline for completion of phase-III, however, is June, 2019.

A view of the traffic jam at Delhi-Meerut Expressway towards Sarai Kale Khan and ITO on Ring Road in New Delhi. (Mohd Zakir/HT File)

The NHAI officials said they will also complete the UP Gate-Vijay Nagar stretch of the expressway, which falls under the phase-II of the project, by the stipulated time of March-end as per the renewed timeline.

Substantial progress has already been made on the two stretches and work is likely to be completed soon, officials maintained, adding that while the UP Gate-Dasna stretch is 19.14 kilometres long and the stretch from Dasna to Hapur is 22 kilometres .

“The two stretches will get completed and opened by the end of March. Work is progressing fast. We have started opening the

n n nUnder diversions on the UP Gate-Vijay Nagar stretch and will also resolve the issues at Hindon overbridge and Hindon canal-cut soon,” said RP Singh, project director, NHAI.

As part of the phase-III, the NHAI has also started work to shift the existing toll plaza in Dasna to Pilkhuwa, nearly a kilometre away. “Work for the shift has already started. The shifting is required as the existing toll plaza is coming in the way of an underpass which needs to be constructed for local commuters. We expect the toll shifted toll plaza at Pilkhuwa to be completed by April 15. The local administration has started distributing compensation for the land acquired in Pilkhuwa,” Singh said.

The stretch between UP Gate and Dasna, as part of the phase-II of the project, will have four lanes on each side of the expressway and three service lanes on each side. It will be of total 14 lanes.

This stretch will benefit commuters travelling from Indirapuram, Vaishali, Vasundhara, Vijay Nagar, Crossings Republik and other commercial and industrial areas on the stretch.

Meanwhile, officials said, the phase-III stretch will have 10 lanes — three lanes on each side of the expressway and two service lanes on each side. The Prime Minister has already inaugurated the Phase-I of the DelhiMeerut Expressway, which connects Nizamuddin Bridge in Delhi with UP Gate.