Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved road projects worth Rs 14,115 crore. The project includes the construction of a 6-lane road tunnel for NH-148AE, connecting Dwarka Expressway to Nelson Mandela Marg in Vasant Kunj, Delhi. Sharing the details of the project, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said it will provide faster connectivity between West and South Delhi, connecting UER 2/ Dwarka Expressway with Vasant Kunj in South Delhi.
Project cost
The 8.1-kilometre project will be developed with a total capital cost of Rs 6,969.67 crore under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) under the NH (O) scheme.
“Underground twin-tube tunnel minimises surface disruption, preserving Southern Ridge Forest (1.98 km tunnel section passes beneath the Ridge). NHAI is also proposing an elevated corridor between AIIMS and Mahipalpur. This link will connect the tunnel with the Barapullah elevated road, thereby connecting West Delhi, South Delhi with East Delhi, Ghaziabad and Noida,” the government said in a release.
Employment opportunities
It has been estimated that the development of each lane-kilometre of a National Highway generates an average of 264 person-days/day of direct employment and an average of 55 person-days/day of indirect employment. Therefore, the project will generate close to 7.54 lakh person-days of direct employment and 9.80 lakh person-days of indirect employment.
Road project in Uttar Pradesh
The Cabinet also gave its nod for the construction of the 117.7-km 4/6-lane access-controlled Kanpur–Kabrai section of NH-34 in Uttar Pradesh. The project will also create additional employment opportunities due to increased economic activity in the vicinity of the proposed high-speed corridor.
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