Rs 1.60 lakh crore push to reshape Delhi's road, traffic landscape: CM Rekha Gupta
New Delhi, May 19
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday thanked Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari for launching a series of road and connectivity projects across Delhi-NCR to tackle traffic congestion and pollution.
She said the Centre, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been working towards building a modern, world-class, and future-ready infrastructure network for the capital.
Speaking after a press briefing addressed by Gadkari, the Chief Minister said Delhi's traffic situation would have been unimaginable today had the Centre not pushed ahead with the construction of expressways, elevated corridors, tunnels, and signal-free road networks under the Union Minister's leadership.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said that projects worth Rs 1.31 lakh crore had already been sanctioned for the development of the Delhi-NCR region over the past 12 years.
She noted that the Union Minister has now announced that the total value of completed, ongoing, and upcoming road infrastructure projects in the region has reached nearly Rs 1.60 lakh crore.
She made a special mention of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway link project, calling it a historic gift for the capital. She said her experience during the corridor inspection was remarkable and added that the project would ensure seamless connectivity between Delhi, Noida, Faridabad, Gurugram, and Jewar Airport.
During the briefing, Gadkari also announced several major upcoming projects linked to Delhi. These include a Rs 3,500 crore six-lane project connecting UER-II with the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway, a Rs 7,500 crore Noida-Faridabad high-speed corridor, the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra connectivity project, a Rs 7,000 crore tunnel project from Shiv Murti to Nelson Mandela Marg, and a Rs 5,000 crore elevated corridor from AIIMS to Mahipalpur-Gurugram.
According to the Chief Minister, these projects will significantly reduce traffic pressure in the capital while strengthening regional connectivity. She also highlighted projects such as the Kalindi Kunj interchange and flyover, the Ashram-Badarpur six-lane corridor, signal-free connectivity from the Haryana-Delhi border to Punjabi Bagh, and the six-lane corridor from Mehrauli to the Delhi-Haryana border.
The Chief Minister further said the Centre was not only building roads but also contributing significantly to environmental improvement in Delhi.
She said lakhs of tonnes of waste and inert material extracted from Delhi's garbage mountains were now being used to construct roads and highways.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Rs 1.60 lakh crore is a massive investment but I'm skeptical about the timeline. We've seen many grand announcements before that got stuck in red tape. Also, why is there no mention of improving public transport in the article? Building more roads might just encourage more private vehicles.
The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway link is truly historic. My brother works in Mumbai and we visit him twice a year. Currently it takes 16 hours by road. This expressway will cut it by half. And the connection to Jewar Airport is brilliant thinking - will decongest Delhi airport big time.
Great to see focus on infrastructure but I'm concerned about the environmental impact. More flyovers and expressways mean more concrete and less green cover. Delhi already has some of the worst air quality in the world. Using garbage waste for construction is innovative, but let's not lose sight of sustainable transport alternatives like cycling corridors and walkable streets.
The Kalindi Kunj interchange upgrade is long overdue! That stretch is a nightmare every morning. But I wish they'd also focus on last-mile connectivity from Metro stations. What's the point of these grand projects if people can't safely walk or take an auto from their home to the station? 🤷♀️
Impressive numbers - Rs 1.60 lakh crore for infrastructure shows the government's commitment. But as someone who works in project management, I hope there's proper accountability and monitoring. Big budgets without transparency often lead to cost overruns. The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway has already seen some delays. Let's hope these new projects stay
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