A proposed five-kilometre underground tunnel between Dhaula Kuan and IGI Airport-Gurugram is still in the Detailed Project Report (DPR) stage, and its future depends on the report’s findings, Union Minister
Nitin Gadkari told the Lok Sabha on Thursday.
The minister said that the DPR has been prepared for the construction of the tunnel connecting Shiv Murti (Mahipalpur) to Nelson Mandela Marg in Delhi. The tunnel aims to offer a faster alternative between South Delhi and the airport corridor, easing chronic congestion on NH-48.
“Decisions of investment and implementation of the project will be taken based on the outcome of DPR, fulfillment of the criteria, traffic density and synergy with PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan,” he said.
Gadkari was responding to a series of questions from South Delhi MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri. The MP had asked the ministry about the timeframe by which the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) would start construction of the road, as well as the estimated completion date. The MP also asked for its tentative cost, but the ministry did not provide an estimate.
As per the 2021 project documents seen by News18, the tunnel was estimated to cost around Rs 2,000 crore and be ready by 2027 if work began in 2022. However, earlier this year, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the revised cost is expected to be around Rs 3,500 crore.
The tunnel has previously drawn criticism as it requires cutting or transplanting more than 400 trees and will pass under the ecologically sensitive Southern Ridge.
Speaking to News18, a ministry official said that the road is essential as it offers a shorter route that will take less travel time, and will resolve traffic congestion in the region, also helping in improving air quality.
“The proposed access-controlled project with new alignment has been envisaged through an area which will have the advantage of simultaneous development as well as will result in a shorter distance to travel,” the NHAI had said in the Pre-Feasibility Report for the project.
The junctions of the tunnel with the existing roads are planned in the form of interchanges and flyovers to ensure uninterrupted flow of traffic, the NHAI had said.
The NHAI has also assured that the tunnel will reduce the vehicle operating cost due to improved road quality.
“The compensatory plantation and roadside plantation will further improve the air quality of the region,” it had said.
