CCEA approves widening of Delhi-Meerut Expressway stretch

The government on Thursday approved widening of the crucial UP Gate to Dasna stretch of the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, to be built at an estimated cost of Rs 1,983 crore, which will ease traffic congestion in the national capital.

"The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given its approval for development of 8/6 laning of Delhi-Meerut Expressway - Package-II-Uttar Pradesh Border to Dasna Section of NH-24 in Uttar Pradesh," Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said in a statement after the meeting.

The cost of the project is estimated to be Rs 1,983.51 crore including the cost of land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation and other pre-construction activities, it said.

The total length of the road will be approximately 19 km.

"This work will be under the National Highways Development Project (NHDP) Phase-VI. The approval is in Hybrid Annuity Mode," the statement said.

It said the project will help in expediting the improvement of infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh and in reducing the time and cost of travel, particularly for heavy traffic, plying between 'Delhi-Meerut' Uttar Pradesh Border to Dasna section on National Highway-24.

The other two stretches - Akshardham temple to UP Gate and Dasna to Hapur have already been approved by the Cabinet.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 31, 2015, had unveiled a plaque to mark the laying of the foundation stone of the Delhi-Meerut Expressway to be built at a cost of Rs 7,566 crore that includes construction of 28-km long 14 lane Delhi-Dasna section.

The National Highway will show a way to freedom from pollution, he had said.

Earlier Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has said that the project will reduce the distance between the national capital and Meerut to 40-45 minutes from 3 hours at present.

The expressway will give a big thrust to development in western Uttar Pradesh and will make travel to cities like Dehradun, Moradabad and Bareilly much faster, he has said.

The Delhi-Meerut Expressway would be an access controlled highway and 31 traffic signals have been removed from the stretch.

While the work on Delhi-Dasna section would cost Rs 2,869 crore, the construction of 46 km long six-lane Dasna-Meerut section of the expressway will cost Rs 3,575 crore.

Besides, six-laning of 22 km long Dasna-Hapur section of NH 24 will be built at a cost of Rs 1,122 crore.