Cabinet Greenlights Rs 6,970 Cr Twin-Tube Tunnel for Delhi

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved a new six-lane, twin-tube tunnel on NH-148AE. This Rs 6,969.67 crore project will provide a direct link between the Dwarka Expressway in West Delhi and Nelson Mandela Marg in Vasant Kunj.

Executed under the hybrid annuity mode (HAM) framework of the National Highways (O) scheme, the project aims to heavily decongest the Vasant Kunj–Mahipalpur corridor. The infrastructure includes a 3.14 km twin-tube tunnel built via tunnel boring machines. Crucially, a 1.98 km segment will run beneath the Southern Ridge's ecologically sensitive Rangpuri section, preventing surface disruption to the protected forest. The route will span from the Shivmurti Interchange on the Dwarka Expressway to the Nelson Mandela Marg and Mahipalpur–Chhatarpur Road intersection.

Upon completion, the tunnel will significantly cut travel times, improve West-to-South Delhi connectivity, and boost overall urban mobility across the National Capital Region (NCR).

News by Rahul Yelligetti.