The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has received approval to construct an 8.5-km elevated corridor on the Rs 1,650 crore Greenfield Expressway, connecting Faridabad to the upcoming Jewar International Airport in Uttar Pradesh. This addition is expected to push the project’s total cost up by approximately 48%, taking it to around Rs 2,450 crore.

Faridabad-Jewar Expressway

Total length: 31.5 km

Cost before approval of elevated corridor: ₹1,650 crore

Expected revised cost: ₹2,450 crore

Length of elevated corridor: 8.5 km

Expected completion deadline: Originally June 2025, now likely delayed by 12-15 months

Funding model: 40% NHAI, 60% private contractor under hybrid annuity model

Aim of project: Improve connectivity and boost economic development between Faridabad and Jewar

Launched in June 2023, two years after its initial announcement in 2021, the 31.5-km expressway has seen only 35% progress, making it unlikely to meet its original June 2025 deadline.

The elevated section was proposed to navigate residential sectors planned by the Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP). "Had the elevated corridor not been approved, several acres of acquired land for these sectors would have been consumed by the expressway," said sources in the district administration.

Construction of pillars for the elevated section has already begun near Sector 65, where it will connect with the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway and the city. However, the exact budget-sharing formula between NHAI and the state government remains undecided.

A part of the Bharatmala Pariyojana, the six-lane expressway will begin from Ballabhgarh and culminate at Dayanatpur village near Jewar, passing through 22 km of villages like Chandawali, Sotai, Bahbalpur, Phaphunda, Panhera Khurd, Narhawali, Mahmadpur, Hirapur, Mohna and Chhainsa. It is expected to enhance connectivity and boost economic growth along the Faridabad-Jewar corridor.

Built under the Hybrid Annuity Model, 40% of the cost will be borne by NHAI, while the remaining 60% will be covered by the company awarded the tender. However, with construction delays caused by last year’s agitations over an interchange demand in the district, the revised timeline is expected to extend by another 12 to 15 months.

Dhiraj Singh, Project Director, NHAI, confirmed the cost increase due to the elevated corridor but said, “The additional budget required for it is yet to be revealed. It may be shared between NHAI and the state government.”

Despite the cost escalation, officials believe an early resolution of technical and financial issues could help speed up the project. However, meeting the original deadline now seems unlikely.