Minister for Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), Nitin Gadkari has approved 11 projects worth Rs 6,393 cr to develop national highways in Haryana. Besides various underpasses to enhance road connectivity and smooth traffic flow, a few of the 11 projects include East-West Expressway from Dabwali to Panipat for Rs 5,000 cr. Construction of this expressway is going to open up the western part of Haryana, which will have fast connectivity with the Meerut area of Uttar Pradesh and the eastern part of Haryana state. Gadkari requested the NHAI to explore the feasibility of the new highway. The projects include Pehowa-Kurukshetra road up to NH-44 as National Highway and Kurukshetra Bypass construction. Pehowa to Kurukshetra road connects two major arteries of Haryana—Ambala-Hisar Highway (NH-152) and Ambala-Delhi Highway (NH-44). Additionally, it passes through the holy city of Kurukshetra. The Kurukshetra bypass construction would lead to decongestion of internal roads and segregation of traffic. It will also enable the movement of people from Patiala, Pehowa area to Haridwar. The complete tentative length of the corridor is 30 km. Gadkari directed NHAI to include the project in Bharatmala Phase-II, including Kurukshetra bypass. Interchange construction on Eastern Peripheral Expressway to link Palwal-Aligarh National Highway (NH-334D) in Palwal district will be undertaken for Rs 65 cr. An interchange facility was not provided at the crossing of Palwal-Aligarh National Highway – 33D with the Eastern Peripheral Expressway. Construction of an interchange at this location would give additional traffic to Expanded Polyethylene foam (EPE), which will result in additional toll collection. The construction of a new national highway starting from Faridabad bypass and ending at EPE interchange near Chainsaw village was approved for Rs 225 cr. Faridabad city is not properly connected with EPE because of which the traffic from Faridabad city faces hardships for accessing EPE. Image Source Also read: India's first green and safe highway to be developed in Rajasthan Also read: Delhi-Jaipur stretch set to become India's first e-highway