NHAI to build elevated corridor to decongest Delhi-Ggm highway
The highway authority invited bids on Wednesday for a firm who will prepare the detailed project report (DPR) which is likely to be completed by October 15.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has started the planning work on constructing an elevated corridor connecting AIIMS to Mahipalpur bypass and the Gurugram-Faridabad Road, officials said. The new corridor is expected to significantly decongest the Delhi-Gurugram highway (NH-48), Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road and the two ring roads.
The highway authority invited bids on Wednesday for a firm who will prepare the detailed project report (DPR) which is likely to be completed by October 15, officials confirmed.
As per the initial estimates, the elevated corridor will be 20km-long and is likely to cost around ₹5,000 crore. However, the final cost will be estimated only after the project report is formed.
The Delhi decongestion plan mentions that this elevated corridor will start from AIIMS/INA to Nadira Marg connecting the Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road and Gurgaon-Faridabad road and will be parallel to the existing Delhi Gurgaon highway, officials explained.
“It will help in diverting traffic from Gurugram to Ghaziabad, Noida, and Greater Noida via NH-48. The elevated corridor will help decongest NH-48, MG Road and both inner and outer ring roads by providing a direct signal free route, thereby easing the pressure on existing arterial roads in south Delhi,” the report states.
Officials said the new 20km corridor will cover the AIIMS/INA area, Brig Hoshiyar Singh Marg, Africa Avenue and connect to Nelson Mandela Marg by crossing the Ring Road. It will move along Vasant Vihar and Vasant Kunj and pass Arjangarh, finally ending on Faridabad-Gurgaon Road.
There will be off ramp exit options on NH-148A for commuters heading towards IFFCO chowk, on NH-148AE for IGI Airport bound traffic and at Mahipalpur road for those heading towards Mahipalpur and Chhatarpur.
Experts, meanwhile, said that the report should be prepared keeping in mind the traffic load on alternative routes during the construction period.
S Velmurugan, chief scientist and head of the traffic engineering and safety division at the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) said the existing Delhi Gurgaon route’s capacity is already saturated and the upcoming elevated corridor will reduce the load. “Delhi airport may also get relief after the opening of Noida/Jewar airport over the next five years but the Gurgaon connectivity needs to be improved. The DPR should take care of minimising the traffic mess and alternative public transport construction. The construction beyond Delhi airport would not be a problem but precautions need to be taken in Delhi section and off ramps need to be planned carefully beyond the RTR area.”
On September 2, HT had reported that the central government has asked the NHAI to explore the feasibility of a tunnel or an elevated corridor connecting the end point of Delhi-Meerut Expressway to the upcomingAIIMS-Mahipalpur bypass corridor.
Currently, the Delhi-Meerut Expressway and Delhi-Dehradun Expressway terminate near Sarai Kale Khan on Ring Road and the DND-Sohna (Jewar) link of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway is also set to commence. The two developments will increase traffic load on Sarai Kale Khan, blocking the already congested New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) area.
The Delhi government, in 2019, had planned to develop a 14km-long corridor from Barapullah near Thyagraj Stadium to Mahipalpur bypass cutting across south Delhi. The target was to decongest areas around the seven Government Pool Residential Accommodation (GPRA) colonies.
This corridor was supposed to handle the increased load of traffic after the completion of high-rise structures as part of the redeveloped GPRA colonies like Nauroji Nagar, Netaji Nagar, Sarojini Nagar, Mohammadpur, Thyagraj Nagar, Kasturba Nagar and Srinivaspuri.
However, the plan could not be implemented due to shortage of funds and issues in the original layout.
