National Expressway 2 (India)

National Expressway 2 (India)

National Expressway 2 or Eastern Peripheral Expressway or KGP (Sonipat(kundli)-Ghaziabad-Palwal) is a proposed road which will bypass Delhi on eastern side. On the lines of the KMP Expressway, another expressway of a similar length (135 km), the Sonipat(Kundli)-Ghaziabad-Palwal expressway KGP Expressway, is set to take off to the East of Delhi, and form the other half of the ring around the national capital. This, too, will also prove a catalyst in both residential and commercial development along the 135-km corridor, majorly in Uttar Pradesh. Though the project is yet to take off, sources in the road, transport and highways say that major developers have bought properties close to the alignment.

The expressway link, also called the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE), will provide signal-free connectivity between Ghaziabad and Faridabad, and Gautam Budh Nagar (Greater NOIDA) and Palwal. The road network touches certain portions of Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. The project involves construction of a six-lane expressway with access control highway connecting Faridabad-Greater Noida-Ghaziabad-Sonipat, which will also act as a bypass to Delhi, with a concession period of 20 years.

The project takes off from NH-1 in Kundli (Haryana), crosses Yamuna near Mawikalan, Hindon river near Sharfabad, NH-58 near Duhai, NH-24 near Dasna, NH-91 near Beelakbarpur, Kasna-Sikandrabad road near Sirsa, re-crosses Yamuna near Fajjupur Khadar, Atali-Chinsa near Maujpur and meets NH-2 beyond Palwal. It will pass through five districts Sonipat, Faridabad in Haryana, and Baghpat, Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar in Uttar Pradesh.

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials said the speed limit for this green field project would be 120 km/h, and hence will provide highspeed connectivity to existing and new residential sectors.

This road will have two sections 56 km-long Faridabad-Greater Noida-Ghaziabad expressway section and 49 km-long Ghaziabad-Sonipat expressway section. Improving connectivity among cities outside the capital will not just decongest Delhi roads, this will also push growth and development beyond the national capital. By the time the proposed expressway comes up and connects farflung NCR towns, it will bring areas across the region close, said an urban planner associated with NCR Planning Board (NCRPB).

He added that though presently, land around this greenfield expressway is either lying vacant or is largely agricultural, their land use would be changed too after the completion of the stretch. Since the project is yet to take off, the development has not yet started. Now, with the seriousness of Centre to award the project soon, both residential and commercial development will start, a major real estate developer said.