Work on Eastern Peripheral Expressway in full swing

The Rs5,763-crore Eastern Peripheral Expressway project to decongest Delhi is on fast-track and will become India's first 135 km green road to be lit entirely by solar panels and have advanced traffic system.

The project, which commenced in May, will consume a million tonnes of flyash from NTPC’s various thermal plants to utilise waste and minimise pollution.

On completion, the project that had hit several roadblocks and saw laying of its foundation by Prime Minster Narendra Modi in November last year will divert around two lakh vehicles passing through the national Capital daily to this bypass, curtailing pollution.

“I expect this project to be completed by August next year. Apart from being access-controlled, this will have the best automatic traffic management system, landscaping, way side amenities etc. This is going to be a boon for Delhi. This will set the pace and the path for many such expressway projects which are greenfield in nature all across the country,” NHAI Chairman Raghav Chandra told PTI.

Mr. Chandra, who inspected the project sites in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, said all five contractors on six packages of the project are working day and night giving confidence to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) that the project will be completed much ahead of the Supreme Court deadline that is July 2018. “However, we hope to complete the project in about 400 days,” he said.

The expressway passes through Sonipat, Bagpat, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, Faridabad and Palwal in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, and the proposed alignment crosses the Yamuna at Khurrampur/Khata in UP and Faizpur Khadar in Haryana and crosses the river Hindon.

The NHAI Chief said earlier there was resistance from farmers over land and other issues which have been solved and they are being given higher compensation.

The Supreme Court has directed police chiefs of UP and Haryana to provide security for expeditious completion of the project in light of attempts by miscreants and vested interests obstructing the work.

THE HINDU