Last Updated on July 1, 2026 6:37 pm by BIZNAMA NEWS
Dwarka tunnel to ease Delhi congestion; Kanpur-Kabrai highway to strengthen Bundelkhand connectivity
Andalib Akhter / New Delhi
In a major push to India’s transport infrastructure, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved two strategic national highway projects worth over ₹14,100 crore, including a six-lane tunnel connecting the Dwarka Expressway with South Delhi and a high-speed access-controlled highway linking Kanpur with Kabrai in Uttar Pradesh.
The projects, aimed at decongesting urban traffic, improving logistics efficiency and strengthening regional connectivity, are expected to generate more than 1.35 crore person-days of employment during construction.
₹6,969-crore Dwarka Tunnel to Transform Delhi Connectivity
The Cabinet approved the construction of an 8.1-km six-lane tunnel on NH-148AE, connecting the Dwarka Expressway and Urban Extension Road-2 (UER-II) with Nelson Mandela Marg at Vasant Kunj.
The project, to be developed at an estimated cost of ₹6,969 crore, is expected to significantly reduce travel time between West and South Delhi while providing a seamless alternative to some of the Capital’s most congested road corridors.
Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the tunnel would improve connectivity between Dwarka, Gurgaon and South Delhi, while easing traffic pressure on key arterial roads.
To further streamline traffic movement, the project also includes the construction of a 1.8-km elevated road along Nelson Mandela Marg, aimed at reducing congestion at one of the city’s busiest intersections.
The government also indicated that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is planning another major urban mobility project—an elevated corridor between AIIMS and Mahipalpur—to further improve traffic flow in the national capital.
The Delhi tunnel project alone is expected to create nearly 7.54 lakh person-days of direct employment and 9.80 lakh person-days of indirect employment, providing a significant boost to construction activity and allied industries.
₹7,145-crore Kanpur-Kabrai Highway to Boost Bundelkhand Connectivity
In another major infrastructure approval, the Cabinet cleared the construction of the 117.7-km access-controlled Kanpur-Kabrai section of NH-34 in Uttar Pradesh at an estimated investment of ₹7,145 crore.
The four/six-lane greenfield corridor is designed to improve high-speed connectivity between Kanpur and Bundelkhand while enhancing links with Madhya Pradesh.
According to the government, the project will provide seamless connectivity to Sagar, Bhopal and other key economic centres, strengthening regional trade and freight movement.
The corridor will also integrate with several strategic transport networks, including NH-34, NH-35, the Bundelkhand Expressway, Kanpur Ring Road, and state highways SH-46, SH-91, SH-10B and SH-42, creating a stronger multimodal road network across northern and central India.
Designed for operating speeds of 80-100 km per hour, the new highway is expected to cut travel time between Kanpur and Kabrai to nearly 1.5 hours from the current 3.5 hours, improving freight efficiency and reducing logistics costs.
The project is also expected to generate nearly 1.2 crore person-days of direct and indirect employment, making it one of the largest employment-generating highway projects approved this year.
Infrastructure Push Continues
The twin approvals underline the government’s continued emphasis on expanding high-quality transport infrastructure to support economic growth, improve urban mobility and strengthen logistics competitiveness.
With strategic investments in both metropolitan and regional road networks, the projects are expected to facilitate faster movement of passengers and goods, reduce congestion, lower vehicle operating costs and enhance connectivity across key industrial and economic corridors.
The latest approvals also reinforce the government’s focus on infrastructure-led growth, with highway development remaining a central pillar of its public capital expenditure strategy.