PM Modi to inaugurate Eastern Peripheral Expressway, address mega rally in Baghpat today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will today inaugurate the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE), India's first smart and green highway built at a cost of Rs 11,000 crore. Modi will also travel in an open jeep on a 6-km stretch of Delhi-Meerut Expressway, which is still under construction and is scheduled to be finished my March 2019. 

After his 6-km roadshow, starting from the Nizamuddin Bridge, the Prime Minister will fly to Baghpat for dedicating the EPE to the nation.

"The Prime Minister will travel in an open jeep on Delhi Meerut Expressway for 6 km, where he will be greeted by a huge number of people. The Prime Minister would inaugurate the exhibition and 3D model there and would fly to Baghpat to dedicate to the nation the EPE," Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari said.

Modi will also hold a mega rally in Khekra in Baghpat where he is scheduled to address a large crowd, just a day before the bypoll in neighbouring Kairana Lok Sabha constituency.

The Supreme Court on May 10 had directed the NHAI to throw open the Eastern Peripheral Expressway for the public by May 31, asking why were they "waiting" for its inauguration by the Prime Minister.

The apex court had said if the 135-km expressway, which envisages signal-free connectivity between Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gautam Budh Nagar (Greater Noida) and Palwal, is not inaugurated on or before May 31, it should be thrown open forpublic who were facing traffic congestion in Delhi.

The Eastern and the Western Peripheral Expressways were planned in 2006 following the apex court's order to build a ring road outside the national capital for channelling the traffic not bound for Delhi.

The 135-km EPE, built at a cost of Rs 11,000 crore, has several unique features and is India's first highway to be lit by solar power besides provisions of rain water harvesting on every 500 metres on both sides and would showcase 36 national monuments and 40 fountains, the minister said, adding it has been completed in a record 500 days.

The foundation stone of the greenfield project was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 5, 2015.

Gadkari said 2.5 lakh trees have been planted including transplant of 8-10 year old trees and drip irrigation provision has been done.

(With PTI inputs)