The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Wednesday approved two major National Highway projects worth ₹14,114.81 crore, including a Greenfield highway in Uttar Pradesh and a six-lane tunnel in Delhi, to improve connectivity, reduce travel time and strengthen logistics under the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan.
The larger of the two projects is the construction of a 117.7-km, four/six-lane access-controlled Kanpur-Kabrai Greenfield Highway in Uttar Pradesh at an estimated cost of ₹7,145.14 crore. The project will be implemented by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) under the Build-Operate-Transfer (Toll) model and forms part of the Bhopal-Kanpur Economic Corridor.
Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the highway is expected to be completed in about two-and-a-half years. Designed for speeds of 80-100 kmph, it will reduce travel time between Kanpur and Kabrai from around three-and-a-half hours to one-and-a-half hours. The project is also expected to generate nearly 1.2 crore person-days of direct and indirect employment.
Also read: Major infra projects log ₹5.4L-cr cost overrun
The CCEA also approved an 8.1-km, six-lane road tunnel connecting the Dwarka Expressway with Nelson Mandela Marg at Vasant Kunj in Delhi at an estimated cost of ₹6,969.67 crore. The project will be executed under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM).
The tunnel project includes a 3.14-km twin-tube tunnel beneath the Southern Ridge, to be constructed using Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) technology to minimise disruption on the surface. The proposed link is expected to ease congestion and improve connectivity between West and South Delhi, while facilitating faster travel for commuters from Gurugram, Dwarka and the Indira Gandhi International Airport.
Vaishnaw said the Delhi tunnel project is expected to be completed in about five years and is projected to generate more than 17 lakh person-days of direct and indirect employment.
According to the government, both projects are intended to improve transport efficiency, lower logistics costs and support economic growth across Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR and adjoining regions.
Follow us
