New Delhi, July 1: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved a six-lane road tunnel project on NH-148AE. This project will connect the Dwarka Expressway to Nelson Mandela Marg in Vasant Kunj, Delhi.
According to a statement from the Cabinet, the 8.1-kilometer tunnel will be constructed under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) at a total cost of ₹6,969.67 crore.
This project aims to enhance connectivity between West and South Delhi. It will link the Dwarka Expressway with Vasant Kunj, benefiting traffic coming from Gurugram, Dwarka, IGI Airport, and South Delhi.
The twin-tube tunnel, built underground, will minimize surface-level disruptions and protect the Southern Ridge forest area, as 1.98 kilometers of the tunnel will run beneath the ridge. The NHAI is also proposing an elevated corridor between AIIMS and Mahipalpur. This link will connect the tunnel to the Barapullah Elevated Road, facilitating access from Western and Southern Delhi to Eastern Delhi, Ghaziabad, and Noida.
The proposed tunnel will pass through Rangpuri in South Delhi. Designed as a twin-tube tunnel, it will start at Shiv Murti Interchange and terminate before the intersection of Nelson Mandela Marg and Mahipalpur-Chhatarpur Road.
The statement also mentioned plans for a 1.8-kilometer elevated road along Nelson Mandela Marg to reduce congestion at this intersection. Additionally, there is a proposal for another flyover from Chhatarpur to Mahipalpur, along with an elevated U-turn to ease right-turn traffic towards Chhatarpur.
The main carriageway will span 6.3 kilometers. Including the proposed flyover and elevated U-turn on Mahipalpur-Chhatarpur Road, the total project length reaches 8.1 kilometers. This comprises a 3.14-kilometer tunnel, a 0.98-kilometer tunnel approach ramp, a 0.554-kilometer approach with RE wall, a 2.556-kilometer elevated section, and a 0.870-kilometer at-grade road.
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