Narendra Modi opens Eastern Peripheral Expressway
* First 100% access controlled expresswayPrime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the 135 km-long Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE), which will channel away traffic not destined for Delhi and reduce vehicular pollution in the national capital.
The expressway will be thrown open to the public from Sunday midnight. It is estimated that it will divert 50,000 vehicles.
The six-lane expressway cost ₹ 11,000 crore, and will connect Kundli with Palwal in Haryana via Ghaziabad and Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh.
The EPE is part of a project that also includes a Western Peripheral Expressway (WPE), and the two together form a circle around Delhi. The construction of the WPE is expected to conclude next month.
The EPE has been completed in 500 days, ahead of a target of 910 days. Access to the expressway is controlled by toll gates at all entries and exits.
The EPE has a closed tolling system, where toll will be collected only for the distance travelled. There are also weigh-in-motion machines installed at all 30 entry points to stop the entry of overloaded vehicles. Amenities for users include petrol pumps, motels, wash rooms, restaurants, shops and repair services.
* weigh-in motion machines at all entry points to prevent overloaded vehicles from entering
* Closed tolling - pay only for the distance you travel
*India’s first highway to be lit by solar power besides provisions of rain water harvesting on every 500 metres on both sides
* There are eight solar power plants on this expressway having a capacity of 4000-kilo watt (4 MW)
* road will have auto challans for over-speeding
* equipped with smart and intelligent highway traffic management system (HTMS) and video incident detection system (VIDS)
* 2.5 lakh trees have been planted here including transplant of 8-10 year old trees and drip irrigation provision has been done.
* At least 50,000 vehicles going to Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan will be diverted, daily
* has 406 structures of which 4 are major bridges, 46 minor bridges, 3 flyovers, 7 inter-changes, 221 underpasses and 8 road over bridges (ROBs).