Fast Track Union road minister promises to complete the expressway on time; says relief to commuters regarding shifting of Kherki Daula toll plaza will take time
The union minister for road transport and highways, Nitin Gadkari, on Friday concluded a two-day review meeting in Manesar, to take stock of the various NHAI projects that are currently underway.
Gadkari said that the Delhi-Vadodara-Mumbai Expressway will be completed in the next three years and the work on the project was underway at a good pace. The minister, however, failed to provide any relief to the commuters of New Gurugram regarding the shifting of the Kherki Daula toll plaza, but promised that the shifting of the toll plaza was his commitment.
Kherki Daula toll plaza
Speaking on the toll plaza, Gadkari said, “The case is presently being heard by the Delhi High Court. All I can say is that the matter has legal ramifications.” He also accepted that there are a few issues pertaining to the implementation of FAS Tags and that the NHAI officials were looking into all problems.
Delhi-Vadodara- Mumbai Expressway
About the Delhi-Vadodara-Mumbai Expressway, Gadkari said, “We are hopeful that within the next three years this project will be completed. This route will go past the backward and the tribal areas of Haryana, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh and will act as a growth engine for these five states, along with Delhi.” He also stressed on the development of smart cities all along the highway.
The total length of the expressway is 1,290km. There are two starting points for commuters: One is from Gurugram on Sohna Road and the second is from Delhi-Noida Direct flyway (DND). In the press briefing, NHAI officials had said that there are a total of 51 packages in this project, of which 18 packages have been awarded.
Gadkari also emphasised the fact that the NHAI has aligned the expressway with the tribal areas, thereby saving on land acquisition costs. “The existing alignment of Delhi-Mumbai highway is from Delhi towards Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Mumbai. The land acquisition cost, which was ₹6 crore per hectare, has come down to ₹80 lakh per hectare,” said Gadkari.
Hero Honda Chowk
Gadkari further announced that by February 15, the Hero Honda Chowk flyover will be opened. “This flyover will much stronger and last for the next five years,” said Gadkari. In May 2019 a deck slab from the flyover caved in, prompting the NHAI to repair the entire damaged slab.
Speaking about NHAI’s ambitious project in the city, Gadkari said that they are considering starting a sky bus route from Dhaula Kuan to Manesar . “Around 260 people can sit in this bus at one go. I will be conducting a meeting with NHAI officials about this,” said Gadkari.
Launch of GATI
The minister also launched an online web portal, called GATI, which can be accessed from the NHAI website by contractors/concessionaires, who can raise any project-related issues on the portal. “This will lead to transparency and encourage time-bound decisions,” said Gadkari.
Gadkari added that the NHAI is working on projects worth ₹55,000 crore to decongest the national capital.
Source : HT
