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NHAI, transport officials to discuss SPR expressway
The secretary-level talks between Haryana government and officials of the Union ministry of road transport and highways and National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) will soon take place in Delhi.
The secretary-level talks between Haryana government and officials of the Union ministry of road transport and highways and National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) will soon take place in Delhi.
The meeting will centre around the issue of changing the alignment of the Southern Peripheral Roads (SPR) Expressway connecting NH-8 before Kherki Daula toll plaza.
The proposed alignment of SPR (starting from MG Road) connects NH-8 about 1 km before the Kherki Daula toll plaza. SPR has acquired the status of national highway and has been allotted number 236.
Though the Northern Peripheral Road (NPR) (Dwarka-NH-8) also connects NH-8 a little before Kherki Daula, it is yet to attain the status of a national highway. However, in future, it is likely to get the same.
NHAI officials feel that if residents wish to move in localities along the SPR, they need to pay toll for the 1 km distance that they travel. Similarly, residents of Ambience Island, near Delhi border toll plaza, pay toll at a distance of 500 metre while crossing the plaza on way to Delhi.
The ministry of road transport and highways wants both the roads — NPR and SPR — to converge at NH-8 (towards Manesar), 1 km after the toll plaza, citing better management of traffic.
However, the government wants to go ahead with the original plan of connecting the highway with the two roads before the toll plaza.
Ministry officials have accused the Haryana government of favouring the Gurgaon Expressway developer, whose revenue will increase manifold as the entire Jaipur-bound traffic using SPR and NPR will converge at the toll plaza.
SPR connects MG Road to Gurgaon Expressway (NH-8), while NPR connects Dwarka in Delhi with the Expressway through New Palam Vihar and newly marked sectors in Gurgaon master plan 2021.
During a meeting between ministry officials and the state government in March, both sides had heated arguments on the issue, a source said.
