The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the construction of an 8.1-km six-lane tunnel corridor connecting the Dwarka Expressway with Nelson Mandela Marg in Vasant Kunj. The project is estimated to cost Rs 6,969.67 crore, and it will be executed under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) as part of the National Highways (Original) programme.
Rather than creating another conventional road corridor, the project seeks to improve east-west connectivity through an underground alignment that will reduce travel time for commuters heading towards South Delhi and the airport, while avoiding large-scale construction through the ecologically sensitive Southern Ridge.
Tunnel aims to solve congestion without cutting through the Ridge
Connecting the Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II)/Dwarka Expressway directly to Vasant Kunj, the proposed corridor will ease travel for commuters heading to South Delhi from Gurugram, Dwarka, West Delhi, and the Indira Gandhi International Airport.
A key feature of the project is its 3.14-km twin-tube tunnel, which will pass beneath the Rangpuri section of the Southern Ridge using Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) technology. According to the government, nearly 1.98 km of the tunnel will run below the Ridge, allowing the highway to bypass the forest area without disturbing the surface ecosystem.
The tunnel will begin near the Shiv Murti Interchange and emerge before the junction of Nelson Mandela Marg and the Mahipalpur–Chhatarpur Road.
Integrated corridor to improve connectivity across Delhi
Beyond the tunnel itself, the project includes supporting infrastructure aimed at easing congestion around one of South Delhi’s busiest junctions. An elevated road along Nelson Mandela Marg, an additional flyover for traffic moving from Chhatarpur towards Mahipalpur, and an elevated U-turn facility have also been planned to improve traffic flow at the intersection.
The main carriageway will stretch 6.3 km, while the total project length of 8.1 km includes the tunnel, approach ramps, retaining wall sections, elevated corridors and at-grade roads.
The tunnel project is also expected to integrate with another proposed National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) project—an elevated corridor between AIIMS and Mahipalpur. Once completed, that link will connect the new tunnel to the Barapullah elevated road, creating a continuous high-speed route connecting West Delhi, South Delhi, East Delhi, Ghaziabad and Noida.
According to the government, the project is expected to generate nearly 7.54 lakh person-days of direct employment and 9.80 lakh person-days of indirect employment during construction. Officials also expect additional jobs to be created through increased commercial and economic activity around the new transport corridor.
The project reflects a growing shift in urban highway planning, where new transport infrastructure is being designed not only to reduce congestion but also to minimise environmental impact and integrate seamlessly with existing road networks. By taking traffic underground through the Ridge while connecting multiple expressways and arterial roads, the tunnel is expected to become a critical mobility link for Delhi’s expanding urban transport system.