Centre clears Rs 14,115 crore for two highway projects; Kanpur-Kabrai corridor due in 2.5 years, Delhi tunnel in 5
New Delhi, July 1
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Wednesday approved two major highway projects worth a combined Rs 14,114.81 crore, aimed at easing traffic in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi.
Both projects were announced on Wednesday, with construction timelines and funding models detailed by the government.
The Cabinet has approved the construction of a 117.7 km, 4/6 lane access-controlled Kanpur-Kabrai Greenfield Highway in Uttar Pradesh at a total capital cost of Rs 7,145.14 crore. The project will be implemented by NHAI on BOT (Toll) mode and forms a key segment of the Bhopal-Kanpur Economic Corridor under the NH(O) programme.
Addressing the media after the announcement, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the Kanpur-Kabrai lane is likely to take around 2.5 years to be finished.
Designed for speeds of 80-100 kmph, the corridor will cut travel time between Kanpur and Kabrai from 3.5 hours to 1.5 hours. The project is expected to generate close to 1.2 crore person-days of direct and indirect employment and carry an Annual Average Daily Traffic of about 18,069 PCUs by FY 2028.
The Cabinet also cleared a 6-lane road tunnel for NH-148AE connecting Dwarka Expressway with Nelson Mandela Marg, Vasant Kunj in Delhi. The total project length is 8.1 km and the capital cost is Rs 6,969.67 crore on Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) under the NH(O) scheme.
The project includes a 3.140 km twin-tube tunnel passing beneath the Southern Ridge, built using a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) to minimise surface disruption. It will provide faster connectivity between West and South Delhi and benefit traffic from Gurugram, Dwarka, and IGI Airport towards South Delhi.
Vaishnaw said the estimated timeline for the Dwarka Delhi tunnel project to be completed is around five years. The project will generate close to 7.54 lakh person-days of direct employment and 9.80 lakh person-days of indirect employment.
Together, the two projects entail Rs 14,114.81 crore in capital outlay. The Kanpur-Kabrai corridor will be on BOT (Toll), meaning private developers will build and operate it and recover costs through tolls. The Delhi tunnel will be on HAM, where the government pays 40% during construction and the rest as an annuity over the operations period.
Both projects are aligned with the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan and aim to improve logistics, reduce travel time, and boost employment in UP, MP and Delhi-NCR.
— ANI
Reader Comments
$1.7 billion for highway projects is significant. The BOT model for Kanpur-Kabrai makes sense for a high-traffic corridor, but I wonder if the toll rates will be affordable for the average person. The Dwarka tunnel project is an interesting urban solution with TBM - hope it doesn't run into delays like some Delhi Metro projects did. Overall, positive step.
Excellent initiative! As someone who frequently travels between Kanpur and Bhopal, this corridor will be a blessing. No more navigating through congested towns and poor roads. The employment generation of 1.2 crore person-days is impressive too. Government should also focus on maintaining existing highways rather than just building new ones.
"accessible-controlled" highway at 80-100 km/h sounds good for safety. The Delhi tunnel is specifically interesting - boring through the Southern Ridge with TBM is environmentally sensitive. But five years for an 8.1 km project seems too long. In China they'd do this in two. Indian infrastructure still needs to speed up execution.
Waah! Finally some attention to UP's infrastructure. The Kanpur-Kabrai corridor is a much-needed link for the Bhopal-Kanpur Economic Corridor. Hope they also build proper service roads and pedestrian crossings. And 18,069 PCUs by 2028 seems conservative - traffic in UP is growing faster than projections usually account for. 😅
Good to see the government focusing on both long-distance corridors and urban congestion relief. The Delhi tunnel connecting Dwarka Expressway to Vasant Kunj will significantly ease the daily commute
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