However, interestingly, the original plan of the project did not include Delhi at all.

Initial plan excluded Delhi

Until 2018, the expressway was planned to begin from Ghaziabad and pass through Loni Road, Saharanpur and finally reach Dehradun. There was no direct connection to Delhi in the initial blueprint.

According to Manoj Tiwari, a member of the NHAI committee and Member of Parliament from North East Delhi, the plan changed after he suggested that the expressway should start from Akshardham in Delhi. Following this proposal, the alignment was revised to include the capital.

Proposal that changed the route

Speaking at the inauguration event held in Gandhi Nagar, Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Harsh Malhotra congratulated Tiwari for his role in reshaping the project.

Tiwari explained that when the plan was being prepared in 2018, Loni Road had already been notified as a National Highway, while the Pushta Road, on which the expressway has now been constructed, was only a state road.

During a meeting, Tiwari suggested to Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari that routing the expressway through Delhi would benefit millions of residents. The proposal was accepted, Pushta Road was later declared a National Highway, and construction began in 2019.

Boost to development and economy

Harsh Malhotra said the expressway would give a major push to Delhi's development. He pointed out that Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand are emerging as industrial hubs and many Delhi-based entrepreneurs have their manufacturing units in these states.

He added that the expressway would act as an economic corridor, directly benefiting traders and businesses. Around 18 to 20 lakh residents of East and North East Delhi are also expected to benefit from improved connectivity, making travel across the city much easier.

Public representatives attend event

Several public representatives attended the inauguration ceremony. Among them were Assembly Deputy Speaker Mohan Singh Bisht, MLAs Sanjay Goyal, Ajay Mahawar, Anil Goyal, Jitendra Mahajan, Omprakash Sharma, District President Deepak Gaba, UK Chaudhary, Master Vinod, Bharat Gaur and Rajesh Sahni, along with other councillors.

Residents welcome the expressway

Local residents have expressed strong support for the new expressway, highlighting its benefits for daily travel and long-distance journeys.

Rajesh Sahni said the project is not only beneficial for those travelling to Dehradun or Saharanpur but also for people living in Delhi, calling it a result of good planning.

Subhash Sharma shared that earlier, commuting to Bhajanpura meant dealing with heavy traffic at Gandhi Nagar and Seelampur, but now travel has become much smoother.

Praveen Chaudhary noted that the journey to Dehradun, which earlier took around six hours, can now be completed in just two and a half hours, making same-day travel possible.

Jitendra added that travelling from Khajuri to Connaught Place used to take over an hour just to reach ITO, but now the same distance can be covered in about 30 minutes thanks to the expressway.