How will the newly inaugurated Dwarka Expressway and UER-II transform connectivity in Delhi-NCR and beyond?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Rs 11,000-crore Delhi stretch of the Dwarka Expressway and the Urban Extension Road-II (UER- II), aimed at making life easier for the commuters, especially in the NCR region.

The primary objective of the two projects has been to decongest and improve connectivity in Delhi and its surrounding areas. 

Dwaraka Expressway Project:

The 10.1 km stretch of the Dwaraka Expressway has been divided into two parts:

Stretch I- 5.9 km from Shiv Murti intersection to the Road Under Bridge (RUB) at Dwarka Sector-21

Stretch II- 4.2 km from Dwarka Sector-21 RUB to the Delhi-Haryana Border, providing direct connectivity to Urban Extension Road-II.

"The Delhi section of this expressway, built at a cost of 5,400 crore rupees and spanning 10 km, features a technically complex and innovation-filled interchange near Shiv Murti. This interchange also connects to the proposed new twin-tube tunnel on National Highway 148AE. This proposed tunnel, approximately 5 km long, will extend from the Shiv Murti interchange to Nelson Mandela Marg and will be constructed at a depth of 20 to 40 meters beneath Delhi’s Southern Bridge," said Nitin Gadkari,  Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, in a tweet on X. 

This surface interface is designed to preserve the environment and ensure a smooth commute for people. 

This project is expected to reduce the distance and travel time to the airport from Sonipat, Bahadurgarh, Rohtak, and Gurugram. In addition to this, an alternative route between Delhi and Gurugram will ease congestion on National Highway 48.

Urban Extension Road-II project:

Built at a cost of  5,600 crore rupees and spanning 66 km, the project is expected to ease the connectivity with National Highway 44 (Delhi-Panipat), National Highway 09 (Delhi-Rohtak), and National Highway 248BB (Dwaraka Expressway). 

It is a 6-lane road that is aimed at reducing traffic in Delhi, Gurugram, Sonipat, and surrounding areas. 

Along with it, connectivity in Alipur, Narela, Bawana, Rohini, Mundka, Najafgarh, Dwarka, Mahipalpur, West, and South Delhi is expected to improve with the launch of the project. 

According to the minister, commuter can now travel from the Delhi-Haryana Singhu Border to the airport in just 40 minutes, which previously took 2 hours for travellers. 

According to Hindustan Times, the UER-II project is expected to improve the connectivity in the Delhi-Chandigarh route. For the industry, this will prove to be a major boost, bringing down the cost of transport within the NCR and beyond. Real estate stands to gain, too, it will spur demand for warehouses and retail spaces.