New Delhi, India – Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated two major road projects in the national capital region, the Delhi section of the Dwarka Expressway and the Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II), together worth nearly 11,000 crore rupees ($1.3bn).
The projects, built under the government’s broader plan to ease traffic congestion in Delhi and its surrounding areas, are expected to significantly reduce travel time to the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport from Sonipat, Rohtak, Bahadurgarh and Gurugram.
“Dwarka Expressway and UER-II will benefit people of Delhi-NCR. Our government is making consistent efforts to remove all difficulties of citizens,” Modi said at the inauguration ceremony. He added that Delhi is being developed as a “model of growth” to represent India’s aspirations as a rising economy.
The prime minister underlined the innovative use of technology in the new infrastructure, noting that millions of tonnes of municipal waste were recycled to construct sections of UER-II. “This scientific and sustainable approach has reduced the mountains of garbage in Delhi while turning waste into a valuable resource,” Modi said.
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, who joined Modi at the event, claimed the two projects would reduce traffic jams in the capital by “at least 50 percent”.
The Delhi section of the Dwarka Expressway, stretching 10.1km, has been built at a cost of 5,360 crore rupees. It is designed to integrate multiple modes of transport, linking Yashobhoomi Convention Centre, Delhi Metro’s Blue and Orange lines, the upcoming Bijwasan railway station and the Dwarka bus depot. The project is split into two packages, connecting Shiv Murti intersection to the Delhi-Haryana border.
The prime minister also inaugurated a 19km segment of UER-II between Alipur and Dichaon Kalan, including new spurs to Bahadurgarh and Sonipat. Developed at a cost of 5,580 crore rupees, the road is expected to ease congestion on Delhi’s Inner and Outer Ring Roads and busy intersections like Dhaula Kuan, Mukarba Chowk and NH-09. Officials say it will also improve freight movement by connecting industrial hubs directly with the national highways.
During the visit, Modi interacted with labourers who worked on the expressway and later held a roadshow at the Mundka-Bakkarwala Village Toll Plaza. The Haryana section of the Dwarka Expressway was inaugurated earlier in March 2024.
Supporters of the government hailed the projects as symbols of India’s fast-paced infrastructure expansion, while critics argue that congestion in Delhi cannot be solved without deeper reforms in urban planning, public transport and pollution control.
