GHAZIABAD: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will throw open a portion of Delhi-Meerut Expressway (DME) falling under Ghaziabad by April 2019. According to NHAI official the major work on 8Km stretch between UP Gate to Vijay Nagar is 50% complete and in two months it will be opened. The remaining 11.2 Km stretch from Vijay Nagar to Dasna will also be opened by the end of this year.“We had earlier planned to open 8Km DME stretch between UP gate to Vijay Nagar in March this year but rain and pollution played spoilsport due to which we had to stop work, now we have set April 2019 deadline,” said RP Singh, project director, NHAI. “The work on NH24 side is near completion work on underpass structure is almost complete while work on central verge which constitutes DME is currently being underway which will also be completed by April,” added Singh.The DME passes through Hindon river where it seems more time is required to wrap up work here but Singh exuding confidence says “as far as work on Hindon river is concerned the plinth work is over and now will only have to place girder and lay slabs on it which is not much of work and the April deadline would be met,” said Singh.All along 8Km stretch between UP Gate to Vijay Nagar there are seven underpasses of dimensions 2mX15mX5.5m dimensions and three Light Vehicle underpasses. “As far as integration of traffic from Indirapuram, Sidharth Vihar and Vijay Nagar on Ghaziabad side and from Noida on other side is concerned it will happen through 10 underpasses which fall under this stretch,” said Singh. “While these underpasses will ensure seamless movement of traffic to Noida and Ghaziabad, Delhi and Dasna bound vehicles will have to take curve which will lead to NH24,” added Singh.For vehicular access to DME, on 8Km stretch between UP Gate to Vijay Nagar there is only one point which is at Abhay Khand. “From Abhay Khand near Gaur office in Indirapuram the DME could be accessed though we have along UP Gate to Dasna strtch there two more access points, at ABES cut and AKG Engineering college which of course will open in the next phase in December 2019,” said Singh.The 14-Lane Delhi-Meerut Expressway(DME) is divided into 6-lane(three on each side)DME and 8-lane NH24(four on each side) on NH24.Singh meanwhile expressed confidence that by December 2019 the whole of UP Gate to Dasna stretch will be opened. “The deadline in May 2020 but we will complete work by December 2019 on this stretch,” said Singh.

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