Restoration, widening of Delhi-Meerut road stretch complete: NCRTC

New Delhi, Jan 17 (PTI) A stretch of the Delhi-Meerut Road between the Meerut Tiraha and the Eastern Peripheral Expressway at Duhai on the capital's border has been handed over to the Public Works Department (PWD) after completion of reconstruction and widening works, the NCRTC said on Saturday.

The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) had undertaken comprehensive restoration and widening of the over 9-km-long stretch, in view of public convenience and commuter safety, the agency said, adding that nearly 6 km of drains have also been constructed to provide a permanent sewerage solution.

The NCRTC said it was entrusted with the upkeep of the road by the PWD in 2018 during the construction of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Namo Bharat corridor, and was responsible for its maintenance throughout the construction period.

The stretch passes through densely-populated areas marked by heavy traffic, particularly by heavy vehicles, which frequently affected road conditions, it said.

According to NCRTC, while regular maintenance was carried out during the construction period, the road has now been completely rebuilt to ensure safer and smoother travel.

The approximately 9.3-km-long stretch has also been widened from the earlier width of 7 metres to 10.5 metres on both carriageways, which is expected to improve traffic flow and enhance safety, it stated.

The NCRTC said, "Constructing a mega project along a heavily-trafficked corridor like the Delhi-Meerut Road posed significant challenges, as the Namo Bharat corridor has largely been built along the road median." It said to ensure safety amid high traffic, barricading was installed along the median and construction was carried out within these zones.

The agency said to minimise disruption to daily traffic, the road was widened on both sides to facilitate vehicle movement. After completion of construction, the barricading was removed and the road was fully restored.

It added that while the country's first Namo Bharat service is operational on the viaduct above the road, serving thousands of passengers daily, the newly constructed 10.5-metre-wide road below is now open for public use.

The NCRTC said the road earlier suffered damage, especially during the monsoon, due to heavy traffic load and inadequate drainage that led to waterlogging. To address this, an improved drainage system has been developed on both sides of the road, including the construction of around 6 km of drains.

It said special emphasis was placed on beautification along with the restoration, with a green belt in place of conventional dividers beneath the Namo Bharat corridor.

This, NCRTC said, enhances the visual appeal of the road and helps reduce glare from oncoming vehicles, improving safety.

According to the corporation, service lanes have also been constructed near the entry and exit points of Namo Bharat stations to ensure safe and seamless access for passengers, while maintaining smooth traffic flow on the main carriageways.

NCRTC added that train services on the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Namo Bharat corridor began in October 2023 and were extended up to Meerut South in August 2024.

Since then, road stretches have been handed back to the concerned departments in a phased manner, and as part of this process, the road from Meerut Tiraha to the Duhai Eastern Peripheral Expressway has now been officially handed over to PWD, it added. PTI SHB ARB ARB ARB