Cabinet Clears ₹6,970-Crore Delhi Tunnel Project
8.1-km six-lane tunnel to connect Dwarka Expressway with Vasant Kunj, easing traffic across Delhi
- Cabinet approves ₹6,969.67-crore tunnel project under HAM model.
- Six-lane, 8.1-km corridor to link Dwarka Expressway with Vasant Kunj.
- Twin-tube tunnel to improve connectivity while protecting Southern Ridge.
- Project expected to generate over 17 lakh person-days of employment.
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 1st July: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved the construction of an 8.1-km six-lane road tunnel connecting Dwarka Expressway (NH-248BB) with Nelson Mandela Marg in Vasant Kunj, at an estimated cost of ₹6,969.67 crore.
The project will be implemented under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) through the National Highways (Original) scheme and is aimed at improving connectivity between West and South Delhi while easing traffic from Gurugram, Dwarka, IGI Airport and West Delhi towards South Delhi.
The project includes a 3.14-km underground twin-tube tunnel passing beneath the Southern Ridge Forest using Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) technology, minimising surface disruption and protecting the ecologically sensitive area.
The corridor will also include elevated roads, flyovers and a U-turn facility near Nelson Mandela Marg to reduce congestion around Mahipalpur and Chhatarpur. It will further integrate with the proposed AIIMS–Mahipalpur elevated corridor and the Barapullah elevated road, enhancing connectivity to East Delhi, Ghaziabad and Noida.
According to the government, the project is expected to generate nearly 7.54 lakh person-days of direct employment and 9.80 lakh person-days of indirect employment, besides boosting economic activity in the surrounding region.
