Delhi’s Third Ring Road (UER-2) to Open by August, Enhancing Connectivity
The six-lane Urban Extension Road-2 (UER-2), which is being developed as Delhi’s third Ring Road, is expected to open by August. This new road will significantly reduce travel time between Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport and parts of south-west and north-west Delhi, as well as the Haryana border, by 40-60%, according to officials familiar with the project.
More than 95% of the construction work has been completed, with sections passing through Najafgarh, Mundka, and Alipur already operational. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), responsible for implementing the project, recently presented the progress report during a meeting with Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, and other cabinet members.
Currently, Delhi-NCR is witnessing road infrastructure projects worth ₹34,589 crore across 594 km, and an additional ₹23,850 crore is allocated for 128 km of roadworks that are set to begin soon.
Originally envisioned under the Delhi Master Plan Road 2021, UER-2 was later designated as a national highway to be developed in five construction phases. The 76-km corridor, of which 54.21 km lies in Delhi and 21.5 km in Haryana, is a ₹8,000 crore project funded by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for the Delhi portion and constructed by NHAI.
“The UER-2 will provide faster connectivity between Chandigarh, Gurugram, and IGI Airport. It will also improve access to previously underserved areas of Delhi, including Najafgarh, Mundka, Karala, Alipur, and Bawana, while enhancing links to South Delhi, Noida, Faridabad, and major highways such as NH-48,” a report from the Union Road Ministry shared with the Delhi government stated.
In January, during the Lok Sabha campaign, Gadkari highlighted the reuse of two million tonnes of legacy waste from the Ghazipur landfill in UER-2’s construction — a move that helped reduce the height of the landfill’s trash mound by seven meters.
In a related development, the underpass stretch of the Dwarka Expressway, which connects with UER-2 near IGI Airport, is nearing completion and is expected to open in the next 15 days. This expressway will serve as a bypass for NH-48 and improve access between the airport, UER-2, Dwarka, and Gurugram. It will also offer a direct link to Yashobhoomi in Sector 25, Dwarka.
“The Dwarka Expressway has significantly eased travel from parts of Delhi, such as Mahipalpur, Dwarka, Vasant Kunj, and Najafgarh, to Gurugram and IGI Airport. The Haryana section was opened in March 2024, and the Delhi stretch, which includes a tunnel and underpasses, is expected to be operational by mid-June,” an official stated.
The 28-km-long Dwarka Expressway, built at a cost of ₹8,611 crore, is now 98% complete.
Officials also mentioned that NHAI is increasingly using inert material recovered from legacy waste through biomining for road construction, including projects like the DND–Faridabad–Ballabhgarh–Sohna bypass and UER-II. This approach, which uses silt, stones, and construction debris, helps reduce landfill volume, conserve natural resources, cut construction costs, and lower emissions.
