New Delhi, Nov 14 (PTI) The first leg of the Delhi-MeerutExpressway, which includes India's first 14-lane highway and2.5 metre cycle track, will be completed by next month, UnionMinister Nitin Gadkari said today.
It is being completed in a record 14 months as againstthe scheduled 30 months, the Road Transport and HighwaysMinister said.
On completion, the expressway will reduce the travel timesignificantly from Delhi to Meerut to just 45 minutes from 3-4hours at present, he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi - on December 31, 2015 - hadlaid the foundation stone of the Rs 7,566 crore expressway.
Gadkari said 75 per cent work in the first phase of theexpressway -- from Nizamuddin bridge to Delhi-UP border -- iscomplete.
He said the project, which includes 6-lane expressway inthe middle and 4-lane highway on both sides, will help curbpollution in Delhi by diverting the traffic from other stateslike Uttarakhand.
Gadkari said adequate steps, including sprinkling ofwater, are being taken during the construction of nationalhighways to minimise pollution.
Pollution in Delhi is not only linked to automobiles butto climate change as well and the government is mulling usingvacuum cleaners to remove dust from the roads, he added.
The 8.7 km stretch of the first phase project involvesvertical garden being developed on the Yamuna bridge, solarsystem lighting and dip irrigation for watering plants besidesnew 4+4-lane major bridges across Yamuna.
The entry to the expressway will be near CWG villagewhile the exit will be at Akshardham and Ghazipur.
According to officials, 495 slums were rehabilitated forthe project and 40,000 saplings are to be planted in lieu of3,261 trees removed.
Phase-II of the project involves 6-lane Expressway and 8-laning from Delhi/UP Border to Dasna for 19.28 km, whilePhase-III will involve 6-laning of NH-24 for 22.27 km fromDasna to Hapur. Phase-IV will be for 31.70 km of newgreenfield alignment from Dasna to Meerut.
NHAI has taken up development of Delhi-Meerut Expressway(DME) under phase VI of NHDP as presently there is only oneroute, NH-58 between the two cities, on which the trafficremains jammed at several places.
"Considering volume of traffic and need for connectivityfor Meerut and beyond for Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, thereis urgent need for an expressway between these two places forthe unhindered fast and safe travel from Delhi to Meerut andvice versa," Gadkari said. PTI NAMSA.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.