Cabinet approves 6-lane NH-148AE tunnel linking Dwarka Expressway with Vasant Kunj
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on 1 July 2026 approved a 6-lane road tunnel for NH-148AE connecting the Dwarka Expressway (NH 248BB) with Nelson Mandela Marg, Vasant Kunj in Delhi, a total project length of 8.1 km at Rs 6,969.67 crore on Hybrid Annuity Mode.
Summary
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved on 1 July 2026 a 6-lane road tunnel for NH-148AE connecting the Dwarka Expressway (NH 248BB) with Nelson Mandela Marg, Vasant Kunj in Delhi, with a total project length of 8.1 km and capital cost of Rs 6,969.67 crore on Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) under the NH (O) scheme. The twin-tube tunnel, to be bored with tunnel boring machines, passes through the Rangpuri (Southern Delhi) Ridge, with 1.98 km running beneath the Ridge forest to limit surface disruption. It will give faster West Delhi-South Delhi connectivity for traffic from Gurugram, Dwarka and IGI Airport.
Key facts
- Route
- Dwarka Expressway (NH 248BB) to Nelson Mandela Marg, Vasant Kunj
- Length
- 8.1 km total; 3.14 km tunnel
- Cost and mode
- Rs 6,969.67 crore; Hybrid Annuity Mode; NH (O) scheme
- Design
- Twin-tube tunnel by TBM
- Ridge
- Passes through Rangpuri (Southern Delhi) Ridge; 1.98 km beneath the Ridge
Practice MCQs 2 questions
The 6-lane NH-148AE tunnel connecting Dwarka Expressway with Vasant Kunj, approved by the Cabinet on 1 July 2026, will be built under which mode?
Show answer
Correct answer: C — Hybrid Annuity Mode
The Rs 6,969.67 crore project will be built on Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) under the NH (O) scheme.
The NH-148AE twin-tube tunnel approved in July 2026 passes beneath which ridge in Delhi?
Show answer
Correct answer: D — Rangpuri (Southern Delhi) Ridge
The tunnel passes through the Rangpuri (Southern Delhi) Ridge, with a 1.98 km tunnel section beneath the Ridge.