The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the construction of a six-lane road tunnel connecting Dwarka Expressway (NH 248 BB) with Nelson Mandela Marg in Vasant Kunj, Delhi. The project has a total length of 8.1 km and a capital cost of Rs. 6969.67 crore, to be implemented on Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) under the NH(O) scheme.
The tunnel will provide faster connectivity between West and South Delhi, specifically benefiting traffic from Gurugram, Dwarka, IGI Airport, and West Delhi towards South Delhi. The underground twin-tube tunnel design minimizes surface disruption and preserves the Southern Ridge Forest, with 1.98 km of the tunnel section passing beneath the Ridge area.
The project alignment begins at Shivmurti Interchange and terminates before the intersection of Nelson Mandela Marg and Mahipalpur Chhatarpur Road. To address congestion at this intersection, the project includes a 1.8 km elevated road along Nelson Mandela Marg, an additional flyover from Chhatarpur towards Mahipalpur, and an elevated U-turn facility for right-turn traffic toward Chhatarpur.
The detailed project breakdown includes: 6.3 km main carriageway, 3.140 km of tunnel, 0.980 km of tunnel approach ramp, 0.554 km approach with RE Wall, 2.556 km elevated portion, and 0.870 km of at-grade road, totaling 8.100 km.
The employment generation impact is significant, with estimates indicating that each lane-kilometer of National Highway development generates 264 person-days per day of direct employment and 55 person-days per day of indirect employment. This project is expected to generate approximately 7.54 lakh person-days of direct employment and 9.80 lakh person-days of indirect employment, with additional employment opportunities anticipated due to increased economic activity in the project vicinity.
The project connects with broader infrastructure plans, including NHAI's proposed Elevated Corridor between AIIMS and Mahipalpur, which will link the tunnel with the Barapullah elevated road, ultimately connecting West Delhi, South Delhi with East Delhi, Ghaziabad, and NOIDA.