The much-delayed Delhi-Jaipur Expressway would be completed by June this year. Asserting this, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari who reviewed the project on Wednesday, said that the Centre is also prepared to build four bypasses by December for important towns if Rajasthan Government offers land.
“Finances for this crucial highway project, which has already been delayed, have been arranged. Eighty-five per cent of the work has been done and the project would be completed by June this year,” he said.
Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, who met Gadkari on Wednesday, also sought the Minister’s intervention in improving the condition of the crucial highway linking the national Capital to the Pink City.
Rathore said the highway is important for business, tourism and cargo and is the lifeline of Jaipur (Rural) lok Sabha constituency, which he represents. The vital road caters to six of its Rajasthan’s assembly constituencies - Kotputli, Bansur, Viratnagar, Shahpura, Amer and Jamva Ramgarh.
Rathore also asked Gadkari to ensure building of four bypasses at Behror, Kotputli, Paota and Shahpura to facilitate movement of villagers, besides early completion of six-laning of Gurgaon-Kotputli-Jaipur section of NH-8.
“The Jaipur-Delhi highway has been a priority area for our Ministry and will ensure an early completion of the project,” said Gadkari, setting the Ministry a deadline for project completion.
The Delhi-Jaipur Highway project has been delayed due to various reasons including land acquisition and contractual issues. According to officials in the Roads Ministry, the delays have caused the project cost of the 272 km highway to shoot up from Rs11,750 crore by at least 30 per cent.
“Of the 57 structures, which were slated to be completed, including flyovers, vehicle underpasses and pedestrian underpasses, works on 46 have already been accomplished while seven more will be done by the end of June this year,” an official statement from the Ministry read. “The work for the remaining four structures is also under progress and will be completed soon.”