E-way to be ready by March-end

GHAZIABAD: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has sought another extension from the central government to complete the 96-km Delhi-meerut Expressway.

Work on the four-phase fourlane expressway was first scheduled to be completed in September 2019 and then revised to December 2020. But disruptions in the form of the Covid-19 induced restrictions, migration of labourers, curbs due to pollution and the farmers’ protest on Delhi’s borders hit the project. Now the authority says it will complete the work by March-end.

During the Prime Minister’s Pragati meeting, where he reviews major projects across the country, the NHAI officials requested the extension.

“During the meeting, the NHAI requested an extension till March 31, when the work on the remaining two phases will be completed,” said Mudit Garg, NHAI project director.

Two phases, 19.2km of Up-gate to Dasna and 32km of Dasna to Meerut, are pending.

Meanwhile, the authority will complete a major rail over bridge (ROB) that is part of the project in December this year, he said.

The ROB near ABES College is proposed to have 16 lanes of which four existing lanes are operational and six new lanes on the Hapur to Delhi side are likely to get opened by end of June.

“By July-end, we will be able to open other two lanes on Delhi-hapur side while rest of the four lanes on this side will get open by end of December,” Garg said

According to officials, phase 2 of the DME was scheduled to be completed in May 2020 as per the contract agreement. This is now about 95% complete.

Phase 4 was scheduled to get complete in September 2019 and is around 95% complete.

During the review meeting, 10 items were looked into taken, including eight infrastructure projects, grievance relating to one scheme and one programme.

These eight projects, with a cumulative cost of about Rs 44,545 crore.