About
Delhi-Meerut Expressway (NE-3) is an 82 km access-controlled corridor connecting Delhi to Meerut in western Uttar Pradesh. Inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi on 1 April 2021, the expressway features India's first 12-lane access-controlled urban section (Delhi-Dasna), making it the widest expressway in India.
The project was sanctioned in 2014 to relieve the chronically congested NH-58 (Delhi-Meerut highway) and the Sahibabad-Ghaziabad-Hapur road network. NHAI executed the project in 4 packages between 2016 and 2021 at ₹8,346 crore. The phased opening allowed sections to come online progressively from 2018 onwards.
Design features include: Phase I (Delhi-Dasna, 27 km) — 14-lane configuration including 8-lane main carriageway + 6-lane service roads + India's first dedicated bicycle and pedestrian path along the entire length. Phase II-IV (Dasna-Hapur-Meerut, 55 km) — 6-lane access-controlled main carriageway + 4-lane service road. Design speed 100-120 km/h depending on segment.
The expressway cuts Delhi-Meerut travel from 2 hours to 45 minutes, with all-day toll plaza FASTag operation. It is a key flagship for sustainable mobility — the integrated cycling track was the first such feature on a major Indian expressway and has subsequently been replicated on Bangalore-Mysuru and Mumbai-Nagpur.
Cross-references
14Indian Standards, IRC codes, and InfraLens knowledge articles that bear on this project's design and execution. Each link opens the relevant reference page.
Related calculators
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Notable features
- India's widest expressway — 14-lane Delhi-Dasna section
- First Indian expressway with dedicated bicycle + pedestrian path along entire length
- Cuts Delhi-Meerut travel from 2 hrs to 45 min
- Phased opening from 2018 to 2021
- FASTag-only toll plazas (all-electronic)
- Integration with the Delhi-Saharanpur Expressway (Phase II)