New Delhi | August 17, 2025 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated two mega highway projects in Delhi — the Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II) and the Dwarka Expressway’s Delhi section — built at a combined cost of nearly ₹11,000 crore. The projects are part of a comprehensive plan to decongest the national capital and enhance regional connectivity.

The inauguration ceremony took place in Rohini around 12:30 pm, where Modi inspected the new stretches. “These initiatives reflect Prime Minister Modi’s vision of creating world-class infrastructure that enhances ease of living and ensures seamless mobility,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement.

Urban Extension Road-II: Delhi’s Third Ring Road

The highlight of the inauguration was the 76-km-long Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II), developed at a cost of ₹6,445 crore. Designed as Delhi’s third Ring Road, it stretches across 75.71 km — 54.21 km in Delhi and 21.50 km in Haryana. Of the five construction packages, Modi flagged off four, linking Mahipalpur near the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport to Alipur in North Delhi.

UER-II will significantly reduce congestion on existing routes, providing faster access from Gurugram, west, and south Delhi to NH-44, Chandigarh, Punjab, and Jammu & Kashmir — bypassing Dhaula Kuan and the city’s inner Ring Roads.

In addition to improving connectivity, the project also carries a sustainability element. Built using nearly 10 lakh metric tons of inert material recovered through biomining of legacy landfill waste in Delhi, it represents a step towards eco-friendly infrastructure.

The corridor will integrate with several upcoming expressways, including the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway, Delhi-Meerut Expressway, Noida-Greater Noida Expressway, DND-Faridabad Expressway, and the Yamuna Expressway, strengthening NCR’s highway network.

Dwarka Expressway: Direct Access To IGI Airport

The second project inaugurated was the Delhi section of the Dwarka Expressway. The total expressway spans 29 km, connecting Mahipalpur in Delhi to Kherki Daula in Gurugram. While the Haryana section was inaugurated in March 2024, the newly opened Delhi stretch covers 10.1 km and includes a landmark feature — a 5.1 km tunnel that provides direct access to IGI Airport.

According to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), this tunnel will dramatically reduce travel time between Noida, Dwarka, and the airport, easing pressure on NH-48 and the Delhi-Gurugram Expressway.

Wider Impact On Delhi-NCR

Officials said the combined projects are expected to reduce congestion across multiple arterial roads including Delhi’s Ring Road, NH-48, NH-44, and the Barapullah elevated corridor. For commuters, this means faster routes from western Delhi, Gurugram, and surrounding NCR towns to the airport and inter-state highways.

“Together, these projects will significantly ease congestion in and around Delhi and NCR,” a senior NHAI official said.

The government has also approved a new 65 km highway connecting Tronica City to the under-construction Faridabad-Noida-Ghaziabad (FNG) Expressway, which will further enhance regional integration once completed.

With the inauguration of UER-II and the Dwarka Expressway tunnel, Delhi moves closer to achieving smoother traffic flow, reduced travel time, and improved air connectivity — critical steps in addressing the capital’s long-standing mobility crisis.