82 km Delhi Meerut Expressway (DME) project, officially designed as National Expressway 3 (NE-3), is a partly operational and under construction access-controlled expressway with a route connecting Nizamuddin Bridge in Delhi with Partapur on Meerut Bypass.
This mix of brownfield (on NH-9 / old NH-24) and greenfield project was approved for construction in July 2014, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid its foundation stone on 30 December 2015.
- Total Estimated Cost: Rs. 7,855.87 crore
- Project’s Total Length: 82 km
- Delhi – Meerut Expressway’s Length: 60 km
- Lanes: 6-14 lanes
- Owner: National Highway Authority of India (NHAI)
- Status: Package 1 inaugurated in May 2018 & Package 3 inaugurated in September 2019
- Completion Deadline: March 2021
- Opened: April 1, 2021 (Package 2 and Package 4 with ABES Underpass and Rail Overbridge work pending)
- Estimated 100% Project Completion: December 2021
- Project Model: Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM)
The expressway’s final section opened to traffic on April 1.
Speed limit on the expressway has been restricted to 70 kmph in Delhi (Package 1), 100 kmph in Ghaziabad (Package 2) and 120 kmph between Dasna and Meerut (Package 4). Autos and bikes will not be allowed on the expressway’s 6 express lanes.
Official toll rate has not been announced, but is expected to be around Rs. 2 per kilometer. Overall toll will be based on the distance travelled. This expressway will feature e-FASTag, where toll charges will automatically be deducted from the vehicle’s FastTag wallet, under a pilot project, so vehicles will not need to stop or slow down.
In March 2021, NHAI invited bids for its 5th section – a 14.60 km 4 lane connector from Km. 50.000 of Package 4 at Zainuddinpur to Km. 8.520 of NH 235 at Jahidpur, south-east of Meerut.
Project Overview Video
Package 1
- Scope: Nizamuddin Bridge to Delhi/UP Border
- Length: 9 km
- Lanes: 14 lanes (6 express, 8 local)
- Contractor: Welspun Delhi Meerut Expressway Private Limited
- Contract Value: Rs. 841.50 crore
- Status: Inaugurated in May 2018
Note: This is the widest road in India. It consists of 2 new bridges over the Yamuna River, 5 flyovers, 4 underpasses, and 4 foot-overbridges.
In June 2019, Welspun received Rs. 27.09 crore as a bonus from NHAI for the early completion of Package-1 on June 28, 2018, 332 days ahead of the scheduled completion date.
Package 2
- Scope: Delhi/UP Border – Dasna
- Length: 19 km
- Lanes: 14 lanes (6 express, 8 local)
- Contractor: Apco Infratech Ltd – Chetak Enterprises Ltd JV
- Contract Value: Rs. 1,998 crore
- Status: Under Construction (formally opened April 2021)
Package 3
- Scope: Dasna – Hapur
- Length: 22 km
- Lanes: 8 lanes
- Contractor: Apco Infratech Ltd – Chetak Enterprises Ltd JV
- Contract Value: Rs. 1,081 crore
- Status: Inaugurated in September 2019
Note: This package does not lie on the main Delhi – Meerut section.
Package 4
- Scope: Dasna to Partapur on Meerut Bypass
- Length: 32 km
- Lanes: 6 lanes
- Contractor: GR Infraprojects
- Contract Value: 1,087.07 crore
- Status: Under Construction (formally opened on April 1, 2021)
Note: This is the only greenfield section of the expressway and is expected to open in or around April 2021. It will be connected to the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) and the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC) will pass over it.
Package 5
- Scope: Zainuddinpur to Jahidpur connector (Km. 50.000 of Package 4 to Km. 8.520 of NH 235)
- Length: 14.60 km
- Lanes: 4 lanes
- Contractor: Unassigned
- NHAI’s Estimate: Rs 524.96 crore
- Status: Awarded to APS Hydro Pvt. Ltd. – Mathiyan Construction Pvt. Ltd. (JV)
