Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday said that the long-awaited Urban Extension Road II, a key ring road project in Delhi, is set to open its lanes to commuters within the next 2-3 months. The announcement came during his interaction with the Indian diaspora in Prague, Czech Republic, where he highlighted the significant impact this infrastructure project would have on travel to Delhi airport.

Addressing the Indian diaspora in the Czech Republic capital, Gadkari said, “Normally, if you come to Delhi and then go to the airport, it will take 2 hours or even more due to traffic congestion. However, after this road opens, you can reach the airport in just 20 minutes.”

Gadkari’s announcement was met with enthusiasm from the Indian diaspora in Prague. The minister also highlighted other infrastructure projects that have been completed under his watch, including Atal Tunnel.

“It takes 3.5 hours to reach Rohtang Pass from Manali. After we constructed an underpass tunnel, people now reach there in eight minutes. In Ladakh, Leh, we have constructed the Zojila tunnel, the longest in Asia. The estimated cost on its tender was ₹12,000 crore and 70 per cent of the construction has been completed in ₹5,500 crores,” he said.

Gadkari recently said that the Urban Extension Road-II connecting North Delhi with the Delhi-Jaipur highway will be a game-changer for the national capital.

Speaking to CNBC-TV18, the Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways said “A majority of the traffic jam and pollution in Delhi is because of the traffic going from North India to South India via Delhi. UER-II will reduce the traffic jam, time as well as pollution.”