Delhi: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the construction of a 6-lane road tunnel under the NH(O) scheme using the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM). This tunnel will be part of NH-148AE and will connect the Dwarka Expressway (NH-248BB) to Nelson Mandela Marg in Vasant Kunj, Delhi. The project has a total length of 8.1 kilometers and a total cost of ₹6,969.67 crore.
This project will enhance connectivity between West and South Delhi by linking UER-2/Dwarka Expressway to Vasant Kunj via an underground twin-tube tunnel beneath the Southern Ridge, ensuring minimal impact on the surface. It will benefit traffic commuting to and from Gurugram, Dwarka, IGI Airport, and West Delhi. There is also a plan to construct an elevated corridor between AIIMS and Mahipalpur, which will connect the tunnel to the Barapullah Elevated Road and improve access to East Delhi, Ghaziabad, and Noida.
The proposed twin-tube TBM tunnel will pass through Rangpuri (Southern Delhi Ridge), it will start at the Shivmurti Interchange and terminate near the junction of Nelson Mandela Marg and the Mahipalpur-Chhatarpur Road. To alleviate congestion, plans are also in place to construct a 1.8-kilometer-long elevated road on Nelson Mandela Marg, an additional flyover from Chhatarpur to Mahipalpur, and an elevated U-turn for right-turning traffic.
The length of the main carriageway is 6.3 km. Taking into account the proposed flyover and elevated U-turn on the Mahipalpur-Chhatarpur Road, the total length of the project is 8.100 km. This comprises a 3.140 km tunnel, a 0.980 km tunnel approach ramp, a 0.554 km approach with an RE wall, a 2.556 km elevated section, and a 0.870 km at-grade road.
Each lane-kilometer of National Highway development creates about 264 person-days of direct and 55 person-days of indirect employment per day. Overall, the project is expected to generate around 7.54 lakh person-days of direct and 9.80 lakh person-days of indirect employment, along with additional jobs from increased economic activity along the corridor. (PIB)
