(This story originally appeared in on Jul 28, 2017)

GHAZIABAD: The widening of NH-24 between UP Gate on the Delhi- Ghaziabad border and Dasna in UP will include building 15 underpasses and a flyover to make the 20km stretch signal-free.This will be a part of the National Highways Authority of India 's ongoing Delhi-Meerut expressway project to widen the existing highway into a 14-lane one from Nizamuddin bridge in Delhi to Dasna (after Dasna, the road will be a six-lane one up to Meerut). Work widening the Nizamuddin bridge to UP Gate section began last year, and the second phase, up to Dasna, will begin on August 1, an NHAI official said. At UP Gate, work on extension of the Ghazipur flyover into Ghaziabad, which had been delayed owing to traffic movement issues during the kanwar festival, has also picked up pace. The UP Gate police outpost has been demolished.NHAI plans to throw open the flyover's Delhi-Ghaziabad car riageway by the end of August.The NHAI has set itself a target of 30 months to complete the second phase, which means the new highway should be ready by March 2020. According to the NHAI, a total of nine underpasses and three flyovers had origi nally been planned on the 20km stretch to Dasna. But following a revision in the detailed project report, the plan was amended to 15 underpasses and a just one flyover, at Lal Kuan. The underpasses will be built in such a way that there is no criss-crossing traffic on the expressway and traffic flow at intersections will be altered accordingly .NHAI project director RB Singh told TOI, “There will be no median cuts along the entire stretch. The 20-km stretch will be free from any signals to allow free flow of vehicles. The first section of the highway in Delhi is almost 50% complete.“The design of the express way has been finalized following a series of meetings with the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA). “The road profile has been finalised in consultation with GDA. We have asked the power corporation of UP for shifting two high-tension lines along NH-24 for construction work to commence. The power corporation has approved our proposal,“ Singh said.