The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday, 1 July 2026, approved the construction of a 6-lane road tunnel on NH-148AE in Delhi, connecting Dwarka Expressway with Nelson Mandela Marg, Vasant Kunj. The 8.1-km project carries a total capital outlay of ₹6,969.67 crore. Union Ports and Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal announced the decision on X.

Context

The approved tunnel will run along the NH-148AE alignment, stitching together two major corridors in the national capital — Dwarka Expressway, a 29-km access-controlled artery in the Delhi-NCR region, and Nelson Mandela Marg, a key inner arterial road serving Vasant Kunj and adjoining south Delhi localities. The project is expected to significantly reduce travel time for commuters moving between the western and southern parts of the city. Sonowal, sharing the Cabinet decision on X, described it as part of PM Modi's infrastructure push: 'Cabinet chaired by Hon'ble PM Shri @narendramodi ji approves construction of 6 Lane Road Tunnel For NH-148AE connecting Dwarka Expressway with Nelson Mandela Marg, Vasant Kunj in Delhi.'

Policy Backdrop

The project sits within a longer lineage of National Capital Region connectivity investments. Dwarka Expressway — itself conceptualised under the Delhi Master Plan 2021 and opened in phases from 2021 onwards — was designed to decongest one of the most traffic-saturated corridors in the country. The broader Bharatmala Pariyojana, approved in 2015, laid the policy architecture for high-speed corridors and urban expressways across India, covering an ambitious 83,677 km of road network. Successive central budgets have channelled funds under the National Infrastructure Pipeline toward last-mile connectivity between expressways and inner-city arterial roads, of which this tunnel is the latest example.

Stakeholders and Impact

Delhi-NCR commuters stand to be the most direct beneficiaries, particularly residents of Dwarka, Vasant Kunj, Mahipalpur and adjoining areas who currently navigate heavily congested surface roads. Logistics operators routing freight through the capital will also benefit from a faster, grade-separated link. The ₹6,969.67 crore capital investment is expected to generate construction employment and downstream economic activity in the region.

What's Next

The project will now move to the tendering stage through the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), with environmental and forest clearances to follow as required. A projected completion timeline has not yet been officially stated. Watchers will track whether the tender is floated within the current financial year and how the project interfaces with ongoing metro and road-widening works in the Vasant Kunj–Dwarka corridor.