NEW DELHI: The stone-laying ceremony for the construction of the 14.8-km Akshardham-Geeta Colony-Shastri Park- Khazuri Khas-Delhi/UP border road will be held on January 26, said Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari on Thursday. He cited a letter from Nitin Gadkari, Union minister for road transport, highways, shipping and water resources, saying the project had been approved by the central government.The six-lane road project could significantly decongest east Delhi and many areas of of north-east Delhi by providing a seamless connection with Ghaziabad and beyond . The new road, when completed, could take a significant chunk of traffic off Pushta Road, Seelampur Main Road and Shahdara, easing the jams that are seen every day during the peak movement hours there.In a letter addressed to Tiwari, Gadkari wrote, “The road has been declared as NH 709-B. I have given instructions for implementation of this road on top priority. This road will be developed as a six-lane, access-controlled road with service roads on both sides. From Akshardham to EPC intersection, there is a provision of 19km of elevated section which will help in minimising acquisition of land and segregation of local/through traffic.”This road project, a large portion of which will be elevated, is part of the planned link between Akshardham Mandir in Delhi and Saharanpur in UP, aimed at facilitating smooth and fast vehicular travel. After the project is completed, the drive from Delhi to Saharanpur via Loni and Baghpat in western UP through congested and poorly constructed roads will likely become a thing of the past.The Delhi BJP chief said, “The issue of traffic jams in north-east and east Delhi is one of the biggest problems facing the capital. I have been trying to get the problem solved since I was elected to the Lok Sabha from north-east Delhi.” He said that he had briefed Gadkari about this problem and requested his help in the matter.“It is a matter of great pleasure for me that Gadkari has approved the 155-km NH 709B at a project cost of Rs 4,405 crore,” Tiwari added. The work, Tiwari said, would be completed within the next 20 months and erase the inconvenience that a large number of people face every day.

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