Delhi-Meerut Expressway: The 8 kilometre long stretch of the Delhi-Meerut Expressway from UP Gate to Vijay Nagar is likely to be opened by the month of March next year. The stretch from UP Gate to Vijay Nagar is a part of the 20-km long highway between UP Gate and Dasna, that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is developing under the second phase of the widening project, according to a TOI report. The stretch between Akshardham and UP Gate, which has been developed in the first phase of the project is already functional.
RP Singh, the project director of NHAI was quoted in the report saying that under the second phase, work on the expressway from UP Gate to Dasna is progressing at a satisfactory pace, but the work between UP Gate and Vijay Nagar section is quite brisk. The NHAI expects that at least this section of the expressway could be thrown open to traffic by March next year. For completing the entire 20-km long stretch, the authority has set a target of May 2020. Singh said that as per their calculations, 26 percent of the work on this entire stretch is done and the authority is quite hopeful of completing the entire work before the May 2020 deadline. He added that given all calculations, the UP Gate-Vijay Nagar is likely to be ready for traffic by March 2019.
The remaining stretch of the highway project has been delayed because of several reasons, one of the major ones being the shifting of pipelines supplying Ganga water. According to officials, as many as 13 underpasses would be constructed on the entire stretch from UP Gate to Dasna, out of which 7 underpasses would come up between UP Gate and Vijay Nagar. They also informed that work on all these underpasses is underway.
Singh said that on the 8 km stretch, the underpasses will come up in Khoda, Kala Patthar, Makanpur, Siddharth Vihar, Sector 63, Pratap Vihar and Vijay Nagar. There are also 3 one-way underpasses near CISF, Shipra and Chajjarsi in addition to a foot-over-bridge (FOB) near Model Town.
While elaborating the delay beyond Vijay Nagar on the expressway, Singh said the main reason is the shifting of Ganga water pipelines. There are 2 Ganga water pipelines, which run parallel to NH-24 from Dasna to the water treatment plant in Pratap Vihar. The pipelines are of 14 km and 6 km length. Therefore, shifting them from the current location is a time-taking as well as cumbersome process. Singh said that this will delay their work on the stretch beyond Vijay Nagar area. But, as per their calculations, work from UP Gate to Pratap Vihar is likely to get over by March next year, so the authority sees no reason as to why they should hold up opening this stretch for traffic. Singh added that at least, it will help ease snarls in areas along the stretch.
