Delhi-Meerut Expressway: All you need to know about India's first bridge with solar power-equipped vertical gardens

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Monday inaugurate the Delhi-Meerut Expressway. The Prime Minister will travel in an open jeep on the expressway and later inaugurate the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) - India's first smart and green highway.

"The Prime Minister will travel in an open jeep on Delhi Meerut Expressway for 6 km during which he will be greeted by a huge number of people. The Prime Minister would inaugurate the exhibition and 3D model there and would later fly to Baghpat to dedicate to the nation the EPE," Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Minister Gadkari said.

अब मात्र 45 मिनट में दिल्ली से मेरठ पहुँचने का सपना होगा साकार। प्रधानमंत्री श्री @narendramodi भारत का पहला 14 लेन का दिल्ली-मेरठ एक्सप्रेसवे 27 मई को राष्ट्र को समर्पित करेंगे। #PragatiKaHighway pic.twitter.com/MrgvdvvRBX — Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) May 24, 2018

All you need to know about Delhi-Meerut Expressway

- The project has been built at a cost of Rs 841 crore. It has vertical gardens with solar system on the Yamuna Bridge.

- The Delhi-Meerut Expressway is the first bridge in the country as well as the world which has vertical gardens with solar power system and drip irrigation. Beautiful lighting system has also been developed on the major structures.

- A cycle track of 2.5 metre wide has also been constructed on both the sides of this expressway which also has provision of 1.5 metre footpath on each side for pedestrians.

- The Delhi-Meerut Expressway starts from Nizamuddin Bridge to Uttar Pradesh border having a 6-lane expressway and 4+4 lane highway.

- The first package of the Delhi-Meerut Expressway will provide a major relief to the commuters in Delhi-Noida.

- On completion of the entire expressway, the time to travel from Delhi to Meerut will be reduced to 45 minutes from the present duration of time which is about 4 to 5 hours.

- The scheduled time period for the construction of the project was 30 months, however, the project has been completed in just 17 months.