(Image source from: Financialexpress.com)

Soon, people traveling between Delhi and Gurgaon might be able to avoid the usual traffic jams on NH-48 and MG Road. Officials mentioned that a new route starting at either Gyarah Murti or Talkatora Stadium is being considered. Right now, it takes over an hour for someone to travel between the Capital and Gurgaon using the regular paths. With this new route, the 30-km trip could be completed in just 25 to 30 minutes, according to the officials. This initiative is part of two plans aimed at reducing congestion in the Capital, particularly in the Lutyens area and Central Delhi. The second major project under consideration, as stated by officials, involves creating an elevated road or a tunnel that would link the end point of the Delhi-Meerut Expressway to the suggested elevated road from AIIMS to the Mahipalpur Bypass.

These two plans were discussed during a high-level meeting in June led by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, along with Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and other top officials. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) was asked to develop a detailed strategy to effectively tackle congestion in these locations.

Previously, the central government proposed a 20-km-long elevated road from AIIMS to the Mahipalpur Bypass, which would continue to the Gurgaon-Faridabad Road. This route is also meant to serve as an alternate path to NH-48 to help relieve traffic on the Mehrauli-Gurgaon and Ring Road sections. “The current proposal involves an elevated road from AIIMS to Mahipalpur… The Minister raised concerns that this alone might not completely solve the traffic issues in the New Delhi Municipal Council region and Central Delhi,” said officials who attended the meeting.

Currently, the Delhi-Meerut Expressway and Delhi-Dehradun Expressway meet near Sarai Kale Khan on the Ring Road. Soon, the DND-Sohna (Jewar) connection of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway will also be opened. With these three major expressways coming together in this area, it is anticipated that the amount of traffic will grow significantly. Consequently, more vehicles may overflow into Lutyens’ Delhi and Central Delhi. To handle this situation, Gadkari instructed the NHAI to look into the viability of the two projects (Delhi-Meerut Expressway to AIIMS-Mahipalpur corridor and Gyarah Murti or Talkatora to Gurgaon). “The Minister requested that these corridors be included in the bids for the elevated road from AIIMS to Mahipalpur Bypass,” the meeting notes indicated.

The project will begin at AIIMS and will link to Nelson Mandela Marg in Vasant Kunj through Ring Road.

At Nelson Mandela Marg, the government plans to build a 5-km tunnel that will connect to IGI Airport and the Dwarka Expressway. “This corridor will be integrated via a tunnel, and another corridor will be developed towards Gurgaon and the Faridabad Road,” explained a senior NHAI official. “The elevated corridor from AIIMS to Nelson Mandela Marg, further linking to the Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road and Gurgaon-Faridabad Road, will function as a parallel route between Delhi and Gurgaon,” the official mentioned. They also noted that proposals have been solicited to create the Detailed Project Report (DPR).

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is currently developing a plan to reduce traffic in urban areas, which is meant to help improve state road redevelopment, officials announced. As per the officials, this plan will provide federal money for big projects that aim to relieve traffic jams, enhance connections between cities—especially near city limits—and cut down on travel time. One high-ranking official mentioned that this plan was brought up in the meeting. "The suggestion will be looked at once these plans are finalized," the meeting notes indicated. The gathering also looked into other important matters, such as traffic jams at the entry points to Delhi caused by MCD toll booths and the progress of current and upcoming projects designed to reduce congestion in the Delhi-NCR region.

Officials noted that CM Gupta asked for Rs 1,500 crore from the Central Road Infrastructure Fund (CRIF) to improve the city’s road infrastructure. Additionally, officials mentioned that there were discussions about major infrastructure projects totaling more than Rs 63,000 crore that have already been completed.

Projects worth Rs 34,589 crore are still in progress and are expected to be finished this year, according to officials, who also pointed out that Rs 23,850 crore worth of new projects have been suggested to alleviate congestion in the city. These initiatives are projected to greatly ease traffic in the Capital and improve connections between the outer regions, New Delhi, and the NCR.