Cabinet approves 8.1-km underground tunnel in Delhi
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the construction of a 6-lane underground road tunnel for National Highway 148AE, connecting Dwarka Expressway (NH-248BB) with Nelson Mandela Marg in Vasant Kunj. The 8.1-km project, estimated to cost Rs 6,969.67 crore, will be executed under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) of the National Highways (Original) scheme and is expected to be completed in five years. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the approval during a Cabinet press briefing in New Delhi.
Decongesting key traffic corridors
The tunnel aims to decongest major traffic bottlenecks along the Dhaula Kuan-IGI Airport/Mahipalpur, Chhatarpur-Mahipalpur/IGI Airport, and Rangpuri corridors. The government estimates that approximately 37,000 passenger car units will benefit from the corridor daily. The underground twin-tube tunnel has been designed to minimise surface disruption, with a 1.98-km stretch passing beneath the Southern Ridge Forest to preserve the ecologically sensitive area.
Integrated corridor connectivity
In addition to the tunnel, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has proposed an elevated corridor between AIIMS and Mahipalpur, which will link the tunnel to the Barapullah elevated road. Once completed, the integrated corridor will provide seamless connectivity between West, South, and East Delhi, while also improving access to Ghaziabad and Noida. The tunnel will start from Shivmurti Interchange and terminate before the intersection of Nelson Mandela Marg and Mahipalpur-Chhatarpur Road.
Detailed design and structures
The project includes a 6.3-km main carriageway within the overall 8.1-km alignment. This comprises 3.14 km of tunnel, 0.98 km of tunnel approach ramps, 0.554 km of reinforced earth wall approaches, 2.556 km of elevated sections, and 0.87 km of at-grade road. To mitigate congestion at the Nelson Mandela Marg intersection, a 1.8-km elevated road is also proposed along Nelson Mandela Marg. An additional flyover from Chhatarpur towards Mahipalpur is proposed alongside the existing flyover, and an elevated U-turn is planned to facilitate right-turn traffic towards Chhatarpur.
Employment generation
According to the government, development of each lane-kilometre of a national highway generates an average of 264 person-days of direct employment and 55 person-days of indirect employment. The project is estimated to generate close to 7.54 lakh person-days of direct employment and 9.80 lakh person-days of indirect employment. Additional employment opportunities are expected due to increased economic activity in the vicinity of the proposed high-speed corridor.
