Eastern Peripheral Expressway or Kundli–Ghaziabad–Palwal Expressway or National Expressway 2 is a long, 6-lane expressway passing through the states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. The expressway starts from the Western Peripheral Expressway at Kundli, Sonipat, passing through Baghpat, Ghaziabad and Noida districts in UP and Faridabad district in Haryana before rejoining the Western Peripheral Expressway near Dholagarh, Palwal. Eastern Peripheral Expressway along with Western Peripheral Expressway completes the largest Ring Road around Delhi. Eastern Peripheral Expressway was declared as National Expressway 2 in 2006. The expressway consists of two sections, the 86 km-long Palwal-Ghaziabad section, also known as Faridabad-Noida-Ghaziabad Expressway and the 49 km-long Ghaziabad-Sonipat section. It has been constructed at a cost of to relieve traffic congestion in the Faridabad - Ghaziabad stretch and also to prevent pollution causing commercial vehicles from entering Delhi.Government of India approved funding for the expressway in August 2015 on build-operate-transfer mode under NHDP Phase VI. Eastern Peripheral Expressway is expected to divert more than 50,000 trucks away from Delhi and reduce air pollution in Delhi by 27%. It was inaugurated on 27 May 2018 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Baghpat. Eastern Peripheral Expressway will be connected with Yamuna Expressway via an interchange which is being built near Jaganpura –Afzalpur village at Yamuna Expressway in Gautam Budh Nagar district.
Salient Features
This expressway boasts of many features that are being implemented for the first time in India.
The 135-km Expressway has a closed tolling system in which toll will be collected only on the distance traveled and not on the entire length.
There is a provision for electronic collection of toll to ensure disruption-free movement of traffic.
Weigh-in motion sensors on all entry points which ensure that over-loaded vehicles are not allowed to enter the Expressway. The sensors are installed at all entry points with two gates—one leading to the Expressway and the other redirecting the vehicle if it is over-loaded.
Provision for parking of overloaded trucks where they can unload some of the cargo to satisfy the weight criteria and then move to the Expressway.
To check speeding, cameras have been put up every two kilometers. Over-speeding vehicles will be issued the challan at the toll plaza and the challan amount would be added to the total toll amount.
Facility for rainwater collection at every 500 meters has been made.
2.5 lakh trees have been planted along the highway along which will be watered through drip irrigation system
A cycle track of 2.5 metre has been developed on both sides of the expressway
Solar panels have been installed at various locations which will provide power to illuminate the expressway. 8 solar power plants with a total capacity of 4000-kilo watt has been made by the side of the expressway to generate electricity.
33% of the earth work on the highway was done using fly ash from coal power plants thereby compounding its contribution to reducing pollution.
The expressway has 406 structures of which 4 are major bridges, 46 minor bridges, 3 flyovers, 7 inter-changes, 221 underpasses and 8 road over bridges.
2017 April: An estimated 60% of the work has been completed. It is expected to be completed by August 2017.
2017 July 26: An estimated 70% of the work has been completed. It is expected to be completed by March 2018, three months ahead of the deadline of July 2018 set by the Supreme Court of India.
2017 Oct: Few farmers agitating against land acquisition in Greater Noida area and who forced stop the road construction work were arrested in Sep 2017 and police force are deployed to give cover to road workers so that work can proceed.
Dec 2017: 85% work completed. Land acquisition related issue is there at two places in Greater Noida impacting length of about 1 kilometer each, which delayed the project completion.
