Modi government working to make Delhi's transport network modern, future-ready: Gadkari

The Narendra Modi government is working to modernise Delhi's transport network with new expressways, ring roads, tunnels, and elevated corridors to reduce congestion, pollution, and fuel consumption.

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday said the Narendra Modi government is working to make Delhi's transport network modern and future-ready by constructing new expressways, ring roads, tunnels and elevated corridors.

Addressing a press conference after inspecting the six-lane access controlled highway from DND Maharani Bagh to Junction with Jaitpur Pusta Road Section of NH-148 NA in NCT of Delhi, Gadkari said the government's efforts for improving connectivity will help to cut fuel consumption, reduce pollution and increase economic growth.

The road transport and highways minister said that in the coming days, Delhi-NCR will have a world-class, green, sustainable and seamless mobility network.

The minister said the government is currently involved in road projects worth Rs 13,000 crore in Delhi.

He said the government will also spend Rs 34,500 crore in Delhi's upcoming projects to reduce congestion, pollution and fuel consumption.

The upcoming projects include a 6-lane UER-II Extension to Delhi-Dehradun Expressway at a cost of Rs 3,500 crore, 6-lane Delhi-Dehradun Expressway to Noida-Faridabad (Rs 7,500 crore), 6-lane Delhi-Amritsar-Katra connectivity to UER-II (Rs 1,500 crore) and 6-lane Shiv Murti-Nelson Mandela Marg Tunnel (Rs 7,000 crore).

The upcoming road projects also include a Rs 6,500 crore Service Road on Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II), a Rs 1,500 crore project for Haryana-Delhi Border to Punjabi Bagh, and the Rs 1,500 crore Delhi-Haryana Border project.

In 2015, the Modi government had made plans to decongest Delhi. ''When PM Modi's government came to power, we planned to decongest Delhi with a larger vision of improving ease of living and mobility,'' he said.