Gadkari announces `10,000-cr road projects for Meerut, NCR

MEERUT: Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari announced `10,000crore projects for development of roads and express highways in Meerut and NCR, which would address the traffic woes of the people here in near future.

He said a 104-km access controlled expressway would be made between Delhi and Meerut via Dasna which would also benefit people of NCR. Work on it would start before January 26 and be completed in two years’ time, promised the minister. Through this highway, it would just take 40 minutes to reach Delhi from Meerut, added Gadkari.

A four-lane highway between Hapur-Bulandhshahr at a cost of `1,680 crore and a four-lane highway on Meerut–Najibabad route at `2,000 crore would also be made. Work on both these highways would start before January 26, said the minister, confirming that the ministry had principally agreed to Delhi-Baghpat-Saharanpur rashtriya mahamarg. Traffic jams have become a regular phenomenon in the NCR region and badly affect commuters on the Delhi-Meerut or other nearby routes. The minister came to Meerut by road on Sunday to be witness to the pathetic condition of roads and traffic on this route. He particularly mentioned the role of Meerut MP Rajendra Aggarwal in making these announcements during this visit.

The union government has recently laid down the foundation stones of two excess control express highways in Delhi.

“People from UP, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand pass through Delhi, which worsens the traffic situation in Delhi. The government is now making two access controlled expressways in Delhi – Western and Eastern bypass – at a cost of `13,000 crore which would be particularly helpful for those coming from the neighbouring areas,” said the minister. On these highways, vehicles would be able to cruise at speeds of 150-160 km/hr.

“In order to improve the condition of farmers, the government is now associating them with power generation, making of bioplastics and ethanol – an option for fuels,” said Gadkari, adding that the condition of farmers would change completely in UP and Bihar if they start making ethanol from molasses.