Delhi-Mumbai Expressway nears completion; service lane stalled over petrol pump issue
The 24-km Package-2 section of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway passing through Faridabad is ready for commuters, yet a hurdle remains: a petrol pump located on the service lane near Sector 17. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is looking to district authorities for a resolution. The Rs 1,729-crore project, initially slated for completion in August 2023, has faced delays.
While the Faridabad section of the 12-lane expressway is complete, the unfinished service lane at a key intersection remains due to the petrol pump, sources in the district administration said. Despite multiple appeals, including meetings and letters to district authorities and the Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP), the issue persists.
As part of the expressway project launched in 2021, the HSVP was to provide NHAI with 70 metres of Right of Way (ROW). However, delays in removing the petrol pump have hindered the completion of this stretch’s service lane. Package-2 of the expressway extends from the Delhi border to Sector 62 in Faridabad.
Though the expressway’s third package, from Kaili village to Khalilpur intersection in Nuh district, is already operational, Package-2 has experienced a 14-month delay. The overall expressway, which begins at the DND Flyover in New Delhi, is also pending full completion, as about 15% of the work remains ongoing in Delhi. The expressway features a six-lane main carriageway and three-lane service roads on both sides.
Work on Package-2, launched on August 10, 2021, was initially expected to conclude within two years by August 10, 2023. This package begins at Jaitpur Pushta Road on the Faridabad-Delhi border and ends at the intersection of Sector 62-65 HSVP dividing road. The first package (Package-1) starts at DND Maharani Bagh and passes through areas like Khizrabad, Batla House, and Okhla Vihar.
HSVP Estate Officer Siddharth Dahiya, when asked about the petrol pump issue, said, “I had no information about the presence of a petrol pump on the service lane of the expressway. While the ROW was provided on time, the problem will be resolved if the matter is brought to notice.”
