The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said that 15 projects for construction of roads and bridges have been approved for Delhi NCR at a cost of Rs 53,000 crore.

“Out of these 14 projects are in progress.  With the completion of these projects, pollution will reduce in Delhi NCR and people will not have to waste their time in long traffic jams,” Gadkari said after inspecting the construction work of Delhi-Mumbai Expressway along with Haryana Chief MinisterManohar Lal Khattar.

Gadkari addressed a programme organized at Lohtki village of Sohna sub-division of Gurugram district. He was also accompanied by Union Minister of State for Statistics Programme Implementation, Rao Inderjit Singh and Sohna MLA Sanjay Singh.

The Union Minister said that Delhi-Mumbai Express Highway of about 1380 km length is the longest expressway in India which will be ready by March-2023.  About Rs 95,000 crore will be spent on this.  The part of this expressway from Delhi to Dausa in Rajasthan and from Vadodara to Ankleshwar will be built by March-2022.

This expressway is being developed as an 8-lane access control green field expressway, which can be expanded to 12 lanes by adding 4 more lanes in future.  A median of 21 meters width is being built on this expressway, which can be reduced in future to widen the expressway, he said

Gadkari said that about 160 km length of this expressway falls in the state of Haryana on which Rs 10,400 crore is being spent. Out of this, work has also been allotted for the construction of an expressway of 130 km length. This expressway will pass through Gurugram, Palwal and Nuh districts of Haryana.  Way-side facilities will be built at 6 places in the part falling in Haryana, he said.

This also includes various  facilities for passengers like resorts, restaurants, dormitories, hospitals, food courts, fuel stations etc., besides parking garages for trucks etc.  Not only this, there will also be commercial space for a logistic park, he added.

The Union Minister said that helicopter ambulance service would also be available on this expressway to take the accident victims to the nearest hospital at the earliest.

Accepting the demands put forth by the Chief Minister, Gadkari informed that three projects including villages Bilaspur, Manesar and Kapriwas have been approved on the Delhi-Jaipur highway at a cost of about Rs 250 crore. On this occasion, the Chief Minister had demanded to build underpasses or flyovers at these places so that people get facilities there and the number of accidents are reduced.

The Union Minister further said that the work of making interchange on Palwal-Aligarh National Highway and Eastern Peripheral Express Highway (KGP) has also been approved. 

Gadkari also approved the demand of the Chief Minister to connect Faridabad city with Jewar airport.  He also informed that a 6 lane 5-kilometer long elevated road is being constructed on Gurugram-Sohna road at a cost of about Rs 1700 crore which will be completed by March 2022. The U-turn underpass being built near Ambience Mall on Delhi-Jaipur highway will also be completed by October 2021.

Gadkari further informed that for the construction of Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, one and a half times compensation has been given to the farmers so that the farmer does not suffer.  "I am also a farmer and I understand the problems of the farmer," said Gadkari while calling upon the farmers not to sell their land adjacent to the highway, but if they develop that land, they will get more profit.

Responding to a question, Gadkari said that 8 percent waste plastic is being used in road construction.  The Ministry has also issued a notification regarding this. In addition, the quality of tire rubber waste is being enhanced by mixing it with bitumen, he said.

Earlier, the Chief Minister said that many such highways are now being built in Haryana.  By making them our financial condition will improve.  Industries will be set up, more services will be provided, people will get an opportunity to live a comfortable life and of course we will move forward, as a nation, he said.

Gurugram, Nuh and Palwal districts of Haryana would be benefited after the  construction of Delhi-Mumbai Expressway.  Investors will come here, industries will come up and people will get employment. A good road signifies the economic progress of that area,  he added.