Centre Approves Rs 24,000 Crore Infra Push For Delhi; Rs 3,500 Crore Tunnel To Ease South Delhi-Gurugram Traffic

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday (8 June) announced that the central government has cleared infrastructure projects totalling Rs 24,000 crore aimed at easing traffic congestion and curbing pollution in Delhi and its surrounding regions.

Among the most prominent of these is a 5 km long tunnel connecting Shiv Murti-Mahipalpur on the Dwarka Expressway to Nelson Mandela Road in Vasant Kunj, PTI reported.

The tunnel will be built by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) at an estimated cost of Rs 3,500 crore.

Gupta said the tunnel will feature two underground tubes, each housing three lanes, effectively creating a six-lane, signal-free link between South Delhi and Dwarka/Gurugram.

The tunnel will also be equipped with modern facilities such as electro-mechanical systems, ventilation, fire safety, CCTV surveillance, control rooms, emergency exits, and cross-passages, she said.

Work on the tunnel is expected to begin early next year. It is designed to decongest major traffic choke points such as Rangpuri, Dhaula Kuan, Rao Tula Ram Marg, and NH-48.

By offering a seamless connection across multiple arterial roads, the tunnel will also link Central and East Delhi to key highways including the Delhi Expressway (NE-5), NH-44, NH-10, the Delhi-Jaipur Highway (NH-48), and the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway (NH-709B) via the Urban Extension Road and the Dwarka Expressway.

Calling the initiative the “foundation for the Delhi of the future,” Gupta said that the project would give a new direction to infrastructure in the national capital and bring relief to millions of citizens.

The approvals followed a recent meeting with Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari.

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