Delhi CM writes to Nitin Gadkari seeking national highway status for Mandi Road

New Delhi, Jul 10 (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has urged Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari to declare the Mandi Road connecting the capital with Faridabad and Gurugram a national highway, and entrust its development to the National Highways Authority of India. In a letter to Gadkari, Gupta said the 8.8-km-long Mandi Road is a strategic transport corridor that connects the Mehrauli-Gurugram Road (NH-148A) near the Chhatarpur Metro station with the Gurugram-Faridabad Road at the Delhi-Haryana border. The road serves as a vital link between Delhi and the neighbouring economic centres of Gurugram and Faridabad, besides facilitating smooth inter-state traffic movement, the chief minister's office (CMO) said in a statement. Gupta pointed out that the governing body of the Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning & Engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC), at its 68th meeting held on September 27, 2023, recognised the strategic importance of Mandi Road and supported the proposal for its widening and comprehensive development. Considering the road's strategic significance, its existing and future traffic demand and its direct connectivity with NH-148A, it should be considered for inclusion under the jurisdiction of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), Gupta said. Declaring Mandi Road a national highway will facilitate the corridor's integrated development plan, uniform engineering standards and timely upgradation, she said. The move would also strengthen connectivity across Delhi-NCR and provide a fresh momentum to regional economic growth, the chief minister said. PTI VIT SMV ARI