On speculations of increased traffic in NDMC and Central Delhi areas following the completion of the Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Dehradun expressways, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has directed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to carry out feasibility studies for two new traffic links in the capital.
According to the minutes of a meeting chaired by Gadkari on June 4, also attended by Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, the minister proposed two new links: a tunnel or elevated stretch from Sarai Kale Khan to the proposed INA–Nelson Mandela Marg elevated corridor, and a tunnel from Gyarah Murti or Talkatora Stadium to the same corridor, TOI reported
Study to explore a possible tunnel link from Gyarah Murti
Gadkari instructed that these links be “incorporated” into the bids for the upcoming elevated corridor from INA to Mahipalpur along Nelson Mandela Road in Vasant Kunj.
The NHAI, which had previously invited bids for the INA–Nelson Mandela Marg link, has received responses from consultancy firms for preparing a detailed project report (DPR). “We can incorporate the provision of carrying out the feasibility studies for the two proposed links in the same. A comprehensive detailed report would be more helpful for better management of traffic,” said an official.
On June 5, it was reported by theTimes of India that NHAI would conduct a technical study to explore a possible tunnel link from Gyarah Murti to the proposed elevated road from INA to Nelson Mandela Marg.
Expressways to open by the end of this year:
The CM’s office also stated that a feasibility study would be carried out for a tunnel connecting Sarai Kale Khan to IGI Airport. During the June 4 meeting, when the INA–Nelson Mandela Marg link proposal was discussed, Gadkari expressed concerns that the current project would not fully resolve traffic congestion in NDMC and Central Delhi areas.
Currently, the Delhi-Meerut and Delhi-Dehradun expressways terminate near Sarai Kale Khan on Ring Road, and the DND–Sohna link of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway is expected to open by the end of this year.
Gadkari emphasised that with these expressways becoming fully operational, traffic would further increase in the “already congested NDMC area and Central Delhi”, particularly as the Ring Road continues to face persistent traffic snarls. In response, he directed that feasibility studies be initiated for the two proposed tunnel links.