Relief For Delhi-Gurugram Commuters As Commute Now Shorter, Trial Run Of Expressway Tunnel Begins
New Delhi: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) today started the trial run for tunnels and underpasses across the Delhi section of the Dwarka Expressway. The tunnel connects the expressway to the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI). The objective of the expressway tunnel is to decongest the Delhi-Gurugram section of National Highway (NH) 48.
The tunnel is 5.1 km long and has two segments. The main 3.6 km eight-lane tunnel connects the Dwarka Expressway to IGI airport, reported the Times of India. The project is a part of the Dwarka Expressway's fourth phase.
The other one is a 1.5 km tunnel, which has two lanes, and links the expressway to NH-48 towards Gurugram. The tunnel, currently, has been opened for a trial run for three hours from 12:00 PM to 3 PM to manage peak afternoon traffic.
The 29 km-long Dwarka Expressway is build at a cost of aroud Rs 9,000 crore.
This is an important step towards enhancing mobility and reducing traffic congestion in Delhi NCR and also improving connectivity to the IGI Airport from Gurugram, Manesar, Sohna, and Jaipur.
The stretch open for the trial run includes a shallow tunnel connecting Dwarka/Yashobhumi with the Delhi Airport through airport underpasses, according to the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways.
Commuters can even travel towards Gurugram from Dwarka/Yashobhumi using the shallow tunnel and right-turn underpass. The airport underpasses and the right turn underpass will be used to travel from Terminal 3 to Gurugram towards Sirhaul.
Currently, only vehicles up to 4.5 meters are allowed to enter the tunnel. The entry of slow-moving vehicles, such as two-wheelers, three-wheelers as well as vehicles carrying flammable materials such as oil tankers, are restricted from entering the tunnel and underpasses.
Once the trial is concluded, the tunnel is likely to be fully operational from June 5. The tunnel expressway is built with the help of advanced engineering. The tunnel has CCTV surveillance to track vehicular movement.
Besides, a separate control room and emergency exits are also there as part of commuter safety.
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