‘Work on Eastern eway almost over’
IN UP Officials in Ghaziabad, GB Nagar say 99% work done
GHAZIABAD: A day after the Supreme Court ordered the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to throw open the 135km Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) by May 31, officials said the pending work on the stretches in Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar is likely to get completed within 10 days.
The 135-km-long expressway connects Sonipat to Palwal through Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar and Faridabad. It will serve as a bypass for vehicles not destined for Delhi, decongesting the national Capital and reducing vehicular pollution. Around 2 lakh such vehicles pass through the Capital every day, contributing to air pollution and traffic jams in the city.
“The major work on a carriageway on a rail overbridge at Baghpat is pending. The work is likely to get completed in 12-15 days. Likewise, the work for the interchange at Dasna in Ghaziabad is will be done in 10 days. Some works such as putting up crash barriers and other road work is pending in Gautam Budh Nagar. This is also likely to get completed in another 10 days,” said AK Jain, project director, NHAI.
The officials said that the 135-km expressway will have seven interchanges from where the vehicles will be allowed entry or exit. Of the total seven, two interchanges are being constructed on the 24.5-km Ghaziabad stretch. The two interchanges are in Dasna on NH-24 and Duhai on erstwhile NH-58.
“The commuters will move to the EPE from the interchanges and will be provided a slip during entry. They will be charged toll when they exit. The toll rates will be 1.25 times the normal NHAI rate which is charged for the highways. The commuters will be charged for per kilometre of travel distance,” Jain added. Western Expressway Eastern Expressway
Kundli to Palwal via Noida and Ghaziabad
Expressway’s length in GB Nagar Expected to be opened:
To form a ‘ring road’ around Delhi that will allow trucks and other commercial vehicles to bypass the capital entirely
After these roads are completed, vehicles going from north India to western and southern part of the country can pass through without entering into Delhi
The officials said that they have completed nearly 99% work on the 24.5-km stretch in Ghaziabad and an equal amount of work for a 49-km stretch in Gautam Budh Nagar.
“Overall, there is a progress of nearly 97-98% work completion for the entire 135km stretch of
the EPE. The work for Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar stretches are almost 98-99% complete,” he added.
For ease of construction, the work for the 135-km stretch was divided into six parts related to each of the major cities, which the EPE intersected.