Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Jul 2: The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved road infrastructure projects worth Rs 14,115 crore, including a six-lane tunnel in Delhi and a high-speed highway corridor in Uttar Pradesh.

Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the projects are aimed at improving connectivity, easing traffic congestion and boosting economic activity.

The Cabinet approved the construction of an 8.1-km, six-lane tunnel on NH-148AE connecting the Dwarka Expressway with Nelson Mandela Marg in Vasant Kunj, Delhi.

The project, to be developed at a cost of Rs 6,969.67 crore under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) of the National Highways (Original) scheme, is expected to significantly improve connectivity between West and South Delhi by linking the Urban Extension Road-2 (UER-II)/Dwarka Expressway with Vasant Kunj.

According to the government, the underground twin-tube tunnel has been designed to minimise surface disruption, with a 1.98-km stretch passing beneath the Southern Ridge Forest, helping preserve the ecologically sensitive area.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is also planning an elevated corridor between AIIMS and Mahipalpur, which will connect the tunnel to the Barapullah elevated road, providing seamless connectivity between West, South and East Delhi, as well as Ghaziabad and Noida.

The government said the Delhi project is expected to generate around 7.54 lakh person-days of direct employment and 9.80 lakh person-days of indirect employment during its construction.
The Cabinet also approved the construction of the 117.7-km Kanpur-Kabrai section of NH-34 in Uttar Pradesh as a four/six-lane access-controlled highway.

The project is expected to improve regional connectivity, facilitate faster movement of passengers and goods, and create additional employment opportunities by promoting economic activity along the proposed high-speed corridor.