Nitin Gadkari posts video of Dwarka Expressway, India's first elevated 8-lane road. Watch
Union minister Nitin Gadkari hails Dwarka expressway as a "marvel of engineering" and a "state-of-the-art" project.
Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday shared glimpses of the Dwarka Expressway, India's first elevated road project. The Union minister of road transport and highways called the expressway a “marvel of engineering” and a “state-of-the-art” project.
“Marvel of Engineering: The Dwarka Expressway! A State-of-the-Art Journey into the Future,” Gadkari wrote while sharing the video on X. (formerly Twitter).
Features of Dwarka Expressway
The 34-meter wide expressway, being built at a cost of ₹9,000 crore, is being constructed on a single pillar, covering 18.9 km in Haryana and 10.1 km in the national capital.
The expressway, which will start from Shiv Murti on NH48 and will terminate at Kherki Daula Toll plaza, consists of a four-level road network, incorporating flyovers, tunnels, underpasses, grade roads, elevated roads, and flyovers. Furthermore, a three-lane service road is being constructed on both sides of the expressway. Moreover, the entire expressway will incorporate an Intelligent Transport System (ITS) facility, enhancing the overall transportation experience.
Controversy over CAG report
Gadkari's tweet comes after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislators called the expressway project the “biggest scam in 75 years” during the Delhi assembly session on Friday and demanded a thorough investigation into the irregularities by federal agencies like the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation.
Several AAP workers also protested at the under-construction expressway on Wednesday. As per reports, the CAG audit report on the implementation of Phase-I of the “Bharatmala Pariyojana” highway projects flagged how the National Highways Authority of India’s (NHAI) decision to go for an elevated carriageway on the Haryana portion of the Dwarka Expressway pushed up the construction cost to ₹251 crore per kilometer from ₹18.2 crore per kilometer.
Meanwhile, as per a report by PTI, Gadkari has expressed dismay over the inadequate response to questions raised by the CAG. Quoting ministry sources, the report said that Gadkari has conveyed his displeasure with the lopsided attitude adopted by certain officials responsible for responding to queries raised by the CAG with regard to the cost of construction of the Dwarka Expressway at a high-level review meeting on Thursday.