KOTA: Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday announced that the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway will be fully completed within two years, alongside a slew of new highway projects for the Kota region, news agency PTI reported.Speaking at a public gathering in Mandana in Kota, after inspecting the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway and the Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve Tunnel, Gadkari said that 75-80% of the Rs 1.10 lakh crore expressway project has already been completed.“The expressway still needs improvement. I give you my word that within two years the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway will be fully completed, enabling people to travel by car from Delhi to Nariman Point and the Jawaharlal Nehru Port within about 12 hours,” PTI quoted the minister as saying.Gadkari recalled that the idea for the ambitious corridor took shape during an earlier visit to Kota, when he realised a direct road connection between Delhi and Kota was feasible instead of the existing circuitous route, PTI quoted him as saying.Among the announcements, the minister confirmed approval for a 10-km four-lane Mukundara Bypass on the Kota-Jhalawar section of National Highway-52, at an estimated cost of Rs 551 crore, with construction set to begin within three months.He also announced approval for a 21-km four-lane greenfield spur connecting Kota with the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway via Alantpura, at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore, with work expected to start in the same timeframe.According to PTI, Gadkari further revealed that the Centre is planning an Rs 15,000-crore Atal Express Highway from Kota to Etawah along the Chambal River. The project, earlier called the Chambal Express Highway, has been renamed after former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, as it passes through Gwalior, he noted. The Detailed Project Report (DPR) is under preparation, and construction will begin once the planning process is complete.The minister added that the DPR for connecting Bhawani Mandi with the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway has already been initiated, following requests from public representatives.Calling highways “engines of economic transformation,” Gadkari said better infrastructure would draw industries, logistics parks, educational institutions, medical colleges and agro-based industries to underdeveloped tribal districts along the expressway route.Quoting former US president John F Kennedy, he remarked, “American roads are not good because America is rich; America is rich because American roads are good,” adding that quality infrastructure creates investment and employment and ultimately helps eliminate poverty, PTI reported.He also praised Rajasthan’s progress under Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, saying the state has moved beyond its earlier drought-prone image towards improved irrigation and infrastructure, and assured continued Central support for the state’s highway development.Gadkari noted that nearly 80 lakh tonnes of municipal waste have been used in road construction so far, while the government is also promoting bio-bitumen made from crop residue. Aviation fuel is being produced from stubble as well, he said, illustrating how technology can convert waste into wealth, PTI reported.Lok Sabha speaker and Kota-Bundi MP Om Birla and chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma were also present at the event.
