Delhi-Meerut expressway: India’s first 14-lane road now open
The 82 km phases 2 and 4 of the Delhi-Meerut expressway are set to be open for public use from today. The expressway will reduce the travel time between the two cities from two hours to around 50 minutes.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will not charge users till the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways approves the rates after the opening.
The Delhi-Meerut expressway's 14 km Akshardham-UP Gate phase 1 and 22 km Dasna-Hapur phase 3 are already operational. The 19 km phase 2 links UP Gate and Dasna, while the 32 km phase 4 links Dasna and Meerut.
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari shared this video on his Twitter and Youtube handle this morning.
NHAI is testing the linking of automatic number plate reader (ANPR) to the FASTag system for a more efficient tolling system. The ANPR is a high-definition system, high speed cameras installed throughout the Delhi-Meerut expressway that was meant to catch traffic violations. In February, the central government had made FASTag mandatory on all vehicles.
Commuters must note the varied speed limits decided by the local authorities. Phase 1, which is in Delhi has a speed limit of 70 kmph, while it is 100 kmph in the rest of the phase, which is in Uttar Pradesh.
Phase 4 is an access controlled six-lane expressway, and the work on all 55 underpasses along its length has been completed. In phase 2, work on 17 out of 18 underpasses is also completed. NHAI told the media that the remaining underpass near ABES College would be opened in another week.
NHAI has installed about 5,000 streetlights on all four phases. The authority said that it is installing 1.5 km long additional fencing of five feet height on either side to keep jaywalkers in check. Some of the street lightings are still being tested, and about 5-6 km of our power cables were short-circuited after farmer protesters at UP Gate drew on it to run their gadgets.
The Delhi-Meerut expressway will provide 14 lane connectivity under phase 1 and 2, while the six-lane expressway will start from Dasna under phase 4. The 14 lanes will comprise three expressway lanes on each side, while the four outer lanes on each side will be highway lanes.
The deadline of March 31 was set after the Pragati meeting held by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February.
Also read: India set to be free of toll booths in two years
