Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the 135 km-long Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE), which will channel away traffic not destined for Delhi and reduce vehicular pollution in the national capital. The expressway will be thrown open to the public from Sunday midnight. It is estimated that it will divert 50,000 vehicles.
The six-lane expressway cost ₹ 11,000 crore, and will connect Kundli with Palwal in Haryana via Ghaziabad and Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh.
According to the different media reports, the EPE has been completed in 500 days, ahead of a target of 910 days. Access to the expressway is controlled by toll gates at all entries and exits. The EPE has a closed tolling system, where toll will be collected only for the distance travelled. There are also weigh-in-motion machines installed at all 30 entry points to stop the entry of overloaded vehicles. Amenities for users include petrol pumps, motels, wash rooms, restaurants, shops and repair services.
The PM also unveiled the first phase of the 82 km-long Delhi-Meerut Expressway. This 14-lane stretch extends 8 km from Nizammudin bridge to the Uttar Pradesh border, and includes service lanes and a 2.5 metre wide cycle track on either side.
