New Delhi: Eyeing elections in the national Capital, Centre has set a deadline of three years to complete the Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressway, which aim to decongest Delhi roads.
The Centre's decision has come after a delegation of all seven Delhi MPs today met Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari where officials of PWD and NHAI were also present.
Delegation also demanded an elevated corridor between Delhi and Meerut, which is later to be extended to Haridwar, so that the volume of traffic on this stretch could be minimised.
“There is dire need to decongest Delhi's Ring roads from heavy vehicles entering from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. In the meeting, Gadkari has set a deadline of three years for the completion of Eastern Peripheral Expresway and Western Peripheral Expressway,” BJP national spokesperson and New Delhi MP Meenakshi Lekhi said.
The two expressways - each about 135 km long – were planned in 2006 following a Supreme Court order to form a ring road outside Delhi for channelling non-Delhi bound traffic bypassing the national capital.
Eastern Peripheral Expressway envisages to provide signal-free connectivity between Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gautam Budh Nagar (Greater Noida) and Palwal while the Western Expressway connects Kundli to Palwal via Manesar in Haryana.
“Although Centre has given three-year time for the completion of this project, contractor, who complete work in 2 or two and half years, will be given incentive by the centre.
We want this project to be completed as soon as possible so that Delhi's roads could be decongested,” Lekhi said.
She added that they also demanded that electric and telephone wires, gas pipelines be laid underground while constructing expressways.
She said that the minister also suggested officials that shipping ministry is engaged in dredging of Yamuna for several work and if river's sand is used for constructing these expressways for free of cost, it will lead to minimum cost of both expressway.
Asked about the future of BRT corridors in the national Capital, she said, “For the time being, we have dropped this project on which several crores of rupees were wasted. BRT corridor has caused several problems for Delhiites.”
“In the meeting, it was also decided that two additional barrages will be constructed in northeast Delhi. With this barrages, the water problem will be solved” she added.
Another BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri also said that BJP-led Central government has set the target to achieve 30 KM/day road construction which clearly highlights its priority to build necessary infrastructure.
