Blast-Proof Tunnel, Elevated Stretches Part Of Dwarka Expressway: 5 Points

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the Haryana section of the Dwarka Expressway, aimed at improving connectivity and alleviating the traffic congestion on National Highway-48 that connects Delhi with Gurugram. 

This infrastructure project is part of a larger initiative called the Bharatmala project. PM Modi will also lay the foundation stones for 112 national highway projects across the country, collectively valued at Rs 1 lakh crore.

Here are some facts about the Dwarka Expressway:

• The Haryana section of the Dwarka Expressway is almost 19 km long and was built at Rs 9,000 crore. It stretches from the Delhi-Haryana border to Kherki Daula.

• The Delhi section near IGI Airport features an eight-lane, 3.6km shallow tunnel to avoid security issues and interference with airport radar. This tunnel accommodates heavy traffic, approximately 40,000 cars per day, and includes emergency exits and a dedicated control room.

• A three-lane, 2.3-km tunnel links the expressway directly to IGI Airport's Terminal 3. A 500-meter section of this tunnel near the airport is designed to be blast-proof.

• Three-fourths of the Dwarka Expressway's 28.5-km stretch is elevated, completely separating the expressway from the city traffic. Hence, traffic moves on three levels - the elevated expressway, the surface road, and underpasses.

• The expressway boasts a special 34-meter-wide elevated lane, standing on single pillars that stretch across an impressive nine kilometers. 

The Dwarka Expressway is being developed in four phases, covering different segments from Shiv Murti in Mahipalpur to Bijwasan, Bijwasan to the Delhi-Haryana border in Gurgaon, the Delhi-Haryana border to Basai, and Basai to the Kherki Daula cloverleaf interchange.