Delhi-Jaipur: A new highway coming
On fast track, a new Delhi-Jaipur highway
Dipak Kumar Dash TNN
12 May 2012
New Delhi: Traffic woes on the Delhi-Jaipur highway could end sooner than expected. The Union highways ministry and Planning Commission are fast-tracking a proposal to construct a new 261km expressway linking the two cities that will take the load off the existing road.
Though road transport and highways minister C P Joshi had last month announced a plan to build two new highspeed links from the capital to Jaipur and Chandigarh, the Pink City stretch has been prioritized. This new alignment road will be 4 to 6-laned and is estimated to cost Rs 10,000 crore.
The tender document says the road must connect with the Manesar-Bawal and Kushkhera-Bhiwadi-Nimrana nodes on the Delhi-Mumbai industrial corridor, and other highway networks.
Among the possible alignments being discussed is starting the expressway at Delhi’s outskirts and terminating it on the Jaipur bypass. Sources said the road could also start from the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal expressway.
At present, NH-8 is the only speed link between Delhi and Jaipur and the increasing congestion on the stretch has become a cause for concern.
Satellite imagery to fix expressway alignment
NewDelhi:The proposed 261-km expressway between Delhi and Jaipur is expected to ease traffic load from the existing road. Officials said the new expressway alignment will be fixed by studying satellite images and digital terrain models, and not through actual ground reconnaissance and survey.
Last week, highways minister C P Joshi had said satellite images will be used for all future highway alignments to avoid allegations of favouritism.
“We have often heard how poor man’s lands are acquired after altering the alignment to protect properties of the rich and influential people,” Joshi had said. However, several observers have been stumped by the interest shown in the project by the Planning Commission. Contrary to past experience when the panel took its time clearing projects, in this case a meeting was promptly convened at Yojna Bhawan on Wednesday. It was attended by officials from the Rajasthan PWD, NHAI and highways ministry. Sources said the commission has asked NHAI and ministry to prioritize the alignment of the road rather than looking into funding of this high-cost project.
But officials who attended the meeting said despite the ministry and Plan panel pushing the project, getting finance will be a crucial step. “The project will come up for discussion during Joshi’s meeting with the prime minister scheduled on May 19. The issue of land acquisition could also come up for discussion,” said a senior NHAI official.
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