Having missed several deadlines, the 52-km-long Manesar-Palwal stretch of the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway has eventually been thrown open to traffic. The stretch is expected to be formally inaugurated by Union Minister of Road Transport, Highways and Shipping, Nitin Gadkari, in the first week of April.
The work on development of the KMP Expressway was started in 2006. For development of this project on BOT basis, Concession Agreement was signed with M/s KMP Expressway Ltd. As per the original time schedule, the expressway was to be ready by July 29, 2009. Forming a ring around the NCR area, the eastern (connecting Kundli, Ghaziabad and Palwal) and the western (Kundli, Manesar and Palwal) peripheral expressways were conceived to ensure that non-destined commercial vehicles, which are estimated to be more than 80,000 now, do not enter the city limits of Delhi.
The much-delayed project got a new lease of life last year when in pursuance to the Supreme Court orders dated January 30, 2015, the State government took the decision to terminate the contract of the old concessionaire and have a new concessionaire. While the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development (HSIIDC) Corporation allotted work for the Manesar-Palwal section on Item Rate Mode in March last, the work for the remaining Kundli-Manesar section was granted in July. The Kundli-Manesar section is expected to be complete in an year's time.
HSIIDC, Managing Director, Sudhir Rajpal told The Hindu that the Manesar-Palwal section might be inaugurated by Mr. Gadkari on April 5. “The road has been thrown open to traffic. It would be formally dedicated to the public by Mr. Gadkari and Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar,” said Mr. Rajpal. “I had used the road a week ago when I had gone to Vrindavan. It took me just 45 minutes by this new stretch to reach Vrindavan from my house. Earlier, I used to take Tauru Road which is in bad condition and took me almost double the time,” said Sher Singh, a resident of Panchgaon. The land acquired for the KMP project in Manesar mostly belongs to the residents of Panchgaon, a cluster of five villages of Kukrolla (largest of the five), Fazalwas, Gwalior, Chandla and Fukharpur. “Our land was acquired a decade ago rendering us jobless. Now with the road becoming operational, we hope to get some job as well. We make an appeal to the government to expedite the work for the proposed Indian National Defence University at Binola and proposed Inter-State Bus Terminus creating more job opportunities for the locals,” said Dharamvir, a fruit vendor. Though the vehicles, including trucks, cars and two-wheelers, could be seen plying on the road, the toll plazas at the entry and exit points near Panchgaon were still under construction. “We are giving final touches to the road. It is expected to the completely ready before the inauguration,” said a senior HSIIDC official.
