Delhi-NCR commuters can look forward to a major relief from traffic woes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate two key infrastructure projects-Urban Extension Road-II (UER-2) and the Delhi stretch of the Dwarka Expressway on August 16. These long-awaited expressways are expected to drastically cut travel time between Noida and Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, reducing the journey to just 20 minutes from the current two hours.

The 76-kilometre-long UER-2 and 29-kilometre-long Dwarka Expressway are part of the central government’s plan to decongest Delhi’s overloaded arterial roads and Ring Road. The new access-controlled corridors will allow seamless travel across the National Capital Region (NCR), especially benefiting travelers coming from Chandigarh, Gurugram, Jaipur, and other northern cities.

According to officials, all major works on both stretches are now complete, with final touches underway ahead of the grand launch. The inauguration ceremony will be held on the Dwarka Expressway and will be attended by several dignitaries, including Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, and local MPs and MLAs. 

What is UER-2?

The Urban Extension Road-II has been designed to function as a new Outer Ring Road for Delhi. It promises to improve airport connectivity and link major parts of Delhi with key NCR cities like Sonipat, Panipat, Karnal, Rohtak, and Bahadurgarh.

Built at a cost of approximately ₹8,000 crore, the expressway stretches from Alipur (on the Delhi-Chandigarh highway), passes through Mundka, Bakkarwala, Najafgarh, and Dwarka, and finally connects with the Delhi-Jaipur highway at Mahipalpur near IGI Airport.

Key Connectivity Highlights:

• Connects with Delhi-Chandigarh Highway at Alipur
  
• Joins Delhi-Rohtak Highway at Mundka
  
• Links with Sonipat Highway at Bawana

The UER-2 project is being developed in four major phases, with multiple spur roads enhancing regional connectivity. These phases will link key urban and suburban areas, including Tughlakabad, Okhla, Tronica City, and Burari, and extend connections to major expressways like the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, and Badarpur-Noida Expressway.

Once operational, the network is expected to save travel time, reduce fuel consumption, and significantly ease traffic congestion in and around the capital. For lakhs of daily commuters and frequent fliers, this could mark a permanent solution to one of Delhi-NCR’s biggest transportation challenges.