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'Dream' highway by 2000

The entire 251-km Delhi-Gurgaon-Jaipur highway will have four lanes by the turn of the century.

Complete with flyovers, rest spots, gardens, restaurants, medical services and phone hotlines, National Highway 8 is expected be a model for the future highways in the country.

The project has been taken up by the National Highway Authority of India in phases. The 36-km Delhi-Gurgaon stretch has already been completed. The 90-km-long Jaipur-Kotputli stretch is likely to be operational this year. The remaining 125 km between Gurgaon and Kotputli will be completed by 2000, when the highway will reduce travel time, increase safety, cut fuel costs, reduce wear and tear of vehicles and make journeys more pleasant and less time-consuming.

According to NHAI sources, the entire highway will be landscaped and fenced on both sides to enhance speed and safety.

Flyovers will be provided at important and busy crossings between Delhi and Gurgaon. There will also be parking bays for trucks with facilities for drivers to rest and relax. Besides, a part of the highway between Delhi (Dhaula Kuan) and Gurgaon will have an overhead fast tram network.

The entire highway will be patrolled to render prompt assistance to vehicles and victims involved in accidents. First-aid facilities and medical assistance will also be available on the highway.

To maintain all these facilities, a toll will be levied, said NHAI sources.