NHAI speeds up ₹4,900-cr Interstate Road Project

The work on six-lane 'access controlled corridor' with service roads on both sides starting from Akshardham Mandir to Loni at Delhi-Uttar Pradesh (UP) border is all set to start as the NHAI has initiated the tendering process for the project. The corridor is a part of the Union Transport Ministry's ambitious project - the 155-km corridor between Akshardham in Delhi and Saharanpur in UP. The road declared as NH- 709B aims to provide seamless connectivity between the two cities and will decongest parts of northeast Delhi. The bids for the development of Akshardham-Geeta Colony-Shastri Park-Khajuri Khas-Delhi-UP border section have already been invited. The ₹4,900 crore project has been divided into four sections - Akshardham to Khajuri Khas (UP border), Khauri Khas (UP border) to Mandola-Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) intersection, EPE intersection to Shamli Bypass and Shamli Bypass to Saharanpur Bypass. The cost of the 14.75 km long portion, including seven km elevated stretch falling in Delhi, is ₹1,375.56 crore. The link will not only reduce travel time to western UP districts but also ease traffic flow in northeast Delhi areas such as Pushta Road, New Usmanpur, Sonia Vihar Extension, Khajuri Khas, West Karawal Nagar and Bhajanpura. The road alignment has been planned along Noida Link road and Marginal Bund Road (Pushta Road) in Delhi and Baghpat Road in UP.