New Delhi, July 1: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved the construction of a six-lane road tunnel connecting NH-148AE from the Dwarka Expressway (NH-248BB) to Nelson Mandela Marg in Vasant Kunj, Delhi, at an estimated cost of ₹6,969.67 crore.
The 8.1-km project will be executed on the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) under the National Highways (Original) [NH(O)] scheme.
The project aims to significantly improve connectivity between West and South Delhi, linking the Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II)/Dwarka Expressway with Vasant Kunj. It is expected to ease travel for commuters from Gurugram, Dwarka, IGI Airport and West Delhi heading towards South Delhi.
According to the government, the project features an underground twin-tube tunnel, with a 1.98-km section passing beneath the Southern Ridge Forest, thereby minimising surface disruption and protecting the ecologically sensitive area.
The tunnel will originate from the Shiv Murti Interchange and terminate near the junction of Nelson Mandela Marg and the Mahipalpur–Chhatarpur Road.
To improve traffic flow at the terminal junction, the project also includes a 1.8-km elevated corridor along Nelson Mandela Marg, an additional flyover connecting Chhatarpur to Mahipalpur and an elevated U-turn facility to facilitate smoother right-turn movements.
The project comprises 6.3 km of main carriageway, including 3.14 km of tunnel, 0.98 km of tunnel approach ramps, 0.554 km of retaining wall approaches, 2.556 km of elevated corridor and 0.87 km of at-grade road.
The government said the proposed tunnel will integrate with the planned elevated corridor between AIIMS and Mahipalpur, ultimately connecting to the Barapullah Elevated Road. This will improve connectivity between West, South and East Delhi, besides providing better access to Ghaziabad and Noida.
The project is also expected to generate substantial employment during construction. According to official estimates, it will create nearly 7.54 lakh person-days of direct employment and around 9.80 lakh person-days of indirect employment, while also boosting economic activity in the surrounding areas.
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