The NHAI will try to complete the Rs 7,620-crore widening work on the 96-km Delhi-Meerut expressway ahead of schedule, chairman Raghav Chandra said on Friday. However, analysts remain sceptical, given the current pace of award of contracts.
The project, which proposes to bring down the travelling time between the two cities from the current 3 hours to just 45 minutes, has been divided into four packages for early implementation — Delhi-UP border (8.7 km), UP border-Dasna (19.2 km), Dasna-Hapur (22.2 km) and Dasna-Meerut (46 km).
While projects have been awarded for the first and third packages, the NHAI will have to re-invite the bid for the second as just one firm evinced interest in the first attempt. Tender for the last part of the stretch, a greenfield one, is yet to be invited. Chandra said though problems persist, the work on the e-way would be completed within two years after construction starts in August this year.
