NEW DELHI: From Delhi’s gridlocked roads to the freight routes linking Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, commuters and businesses got a Rs 14,114.81-crore infrastructure boost on Wednesday. The Union Cabinet approved a six-lane tunnel connecting the Dwarka Expressway with south Delhi and a new access-controlled highway linking industrial Kanpur with mineral-rich Kabrai. Together, the projects promise faster travel, smoother logistics and stronger regional connectivity.
The projects were cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by PM Narendra Modi. Briefing reporters after the meeting, I&B Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the projects are aimed at easing congestion, improving logistics and accelerating regional economic growth.
Delhi’s share of the package is a `6,969.67-crore project to build an 8.1-km six-lane tunnel on NH-148AE. It will connect the Shivmurti Interchange on the Dwarka Expressway (NH-248BB) with Nelson Mandela Marg in Vasant Kunj. The project will be implemented under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM).
The tunnel is expected to provide seamless connectivity for commuters travelling from Gurugram, Dwarka, IGIA and west Delhi to south Delhi. It will also integrate with the proposed elevated AIIMS-Mahipalpur corridor, creating a direct link to the Barapullah elevated road and improving access to east Delhi, Ghaziabad and Noida.
To minimise the environmental impact, the tunnel will pass beneath the ecologically sensitive Southern Ridge Forest using tunnel boring machines (TBMs), avoiding large-scale surface disruption.
The project includes a 3.14-km underground tunnel, approach ramps, elevated stretches and at-grade roads. It provides for a 1.8-km elevated road along Nelson Mandela Marg, a new flyover towards Mahipalpur and an elevated U-turn to decongest the busy Mahipalpur-Chhatarpur junction. It is estimated that the project will generate about 7.54 lakh man-days of direct employment and nearly 9.8 lakh man-days of indirect employment.
The Cabinet also approved a Rs 7,145.14-crore project to build a 117.7-km four-lane access-controlled greenfield highway between Kanpur and Kabrai.
Travel time between Kanpur, Kabrai to be cut from over 3 hrs to 90 mins
Designed for future expansion to six lanes, the corridor forms a key part of the proposed Bhopal-Kanpur Economic Corridor under the National Highways (Original) Programme. It will be implemented by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) (Toll) model. The project also includes operation and maintenance of the existing Kanpur-Kabrai stretch of NH-34.
Designed for speeds of 80-100 kmph, the highway is expected to cut travel time between Kanpur and Kabrai from around three-and-a-half hours to just 90 minutes. It is expected to improve road safety, reduce vehicle operating costs, and speed up passenger and freight traffic.
The corridor will strengthen connectivity between Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh by linking industrial and commercial centres with mineral-rich and agricultural regions. It will also improve access to the Kabrai mining belt, facilitating the transport of minerals, construction materials, industrial goods and agricultural produce.
The highway will connect with NH-34, NH-35, the Bundelkhand Expressway, the Kanpur Ring Road and several state highways. It is expected to improve access to 16 economic nodes, 9 social nodes, and 10 logistics hubs, including industrial clusters, railway stations, and airports across the region.
According to the government, the Kanpur-Kabrai project will generate nearly 1.2 crore person-days of employment during construction. It is projected to handle an Annual Average Daily Traffic of about 18,069 Passenger Car Units by FY29.
Vaishnaw said the two projects would enhance urban mobility, reduce congestion, improve logistics efficiency and support industrial and economic development across the National Capital Region, Bundelkhand and adjoining parts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
Six-lane tunnel at Rs 6,970 cr
To connect Shivmurti Interchange on Dwarka E-way with Nelson
Mandela Marg, Vasant Kunj
Commuters from Gurugram, Dwarka, IGIA and west to south Delhi to benefit
To integrate with proposed elevated AIIMS-Mahipalpur corridor, providing direct link to Barapullah elevated road
To provide better access to East Delhi, Ghaziabad and Noida in NCR
3.14-km underground tunnel, approach ramps, elevated stretches; 1.8-km elevated road on Nelson Mandela Marg
