Finishing work nears, traffic movement begins on Delhi-Mumbai Expressway

The movement of traffic, particularly private vehicles, has begun unofficially on the 24km stretch of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway passing through the city. The E-way is yet to be opened formally or declared fit for movement. Undergoing finishing work, it is expected to be inaugurated next month.

The passage, known as package-two of the e-way connects the Delhi border and Kailgoan in the district. Though the work on this stretch was started in August 2021 with the deadline of 24 months, it is yet to be officially made ready for traffic movement, according to sources in the district administration. The third package between Kailgaon and Khalilpur near Sohna has already been functional since May 2023. The movement of traffic on this stretch has been enabled by the entry and exit points that remain open to provide an access to the vehicles of the contracting agency engaged in finishing work at some of the spots, according to the sources.

“The work of lighting, signboards and painting has been on and is likely to go on for the next two to three weeks before it is fully operational,” said an official on condition of anonymity.

Satinder Singh, an advocate, said that the unregulated movement of vehicles on this stretch posed a risk to the commuters in wake of vehicles moving at high speed. Rakesh Jain, a resident, said that wrong-side driving on the expressway and its service roads had emerged as a major menace as there was hardly any regulation by the police or any other authority. The vehicles plying on the wrong side of the expressway include heavy vehicles such as trucks.

Being built at a cost of Rs 1,729-crore, the passage of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway passing from the district has jumped the deadline by over 13 months. The authorities are also worried about certain issues, including a petrol pump that had still been occupying the Right of Way (ROW) on the service road of the E-way as the issue has run into legal hurdles. While the main carriage way is of six lanes, the service road is of three lanes on both sides.

The package-two starts from Jaitpur Pushta road at the border of Faridabad and Delhi and terminates at the junction with Sector 62-65 dividing road of the HSVP. The first package starts at DND Maharani Bagh, passes through Khizrabad, Batla House and Okhla Vihar on Yamuna river’s west bank, Canal Colony and Jasola Vihar.

Kamal Kant, a NHAI official, said the matter was pursued with the local authorities. A spokesperson of the Police Department said no complaint has surfaced so far.