The Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE), which is under construction to decongest the national capital, is likely to inaugurate on 26th May, the day Modi Government completes four years in power. EPE connects Kundli to Palwal situated in Haryana via Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh and has intersections at many industrial areas like Bhaghpat, Meerut, etc. The foundation of the project was laid down with an aim to reduce the burden of commercial freight on New Delhi.

Union Minister for road transport and highways, Nitin Gadkari, has said that the air pollution levels would reduce by 50% once the expressway is fully operational. The expressway was earlier scheduled for inauguration on April 29th but was rescheduled later. It is said that the date was pushed ahead as some work was yet to be completed on phase-1 of the Delhi-Meerut expressway, which was to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the same day.

The Union Minister also said that the EPE would include six Way Side Amenities (WSAs) providing services like restrooms, food court, fuel station, etc. The primary objective of the Way Side Amenities (WSAs) is to provide a standardized experience to the highway travelers at important locations. Under the leadership of [b]Mr Akhilesh Srivastava[/b], CGM (IT & Operations), NHAI, the autonomous agency of the Government of India is building three structures of Way Side Amenities (WSAs) spread across the entire stretch of highways to provide basic, moderate and advanced amenities to commuters as well.

The Highway Nest (Mini), is a part of the WSAs project which will provide basic facilities such as drinking water, ATMs, restrooms, kiosks for the eatery and other facilities alongside highways. Srivastava with the help of NHAI supervising the development of Highway Nest (Mini) amenities across the major national highways.

The Highway Village is the other sub-structure of this project which will have various restaurants, ample amount of parking space, fuel stations and motels. These entities are being developed to provide adequate rest and refreshment for commuters as well as specific handicrafts of local artisans.

The Highway Nest is the final leg of the WSAs project. Many private parties have joined hands with the NHAI to develop entities with the name “Highway Nest” on approximately 1000 locations across the NH's landscape. The access to these facilities will be provided by the NHAI.

Apart from the WSAs, the EPE will also be the first solar-powered expressway and will incorporate proficient traffic management techniques like over speed checking devices, closed-circuit television cameras among other facilities. It also has miniatures of 36 monuments including India Gate and Gateway of India to enhance the experiential factor for the commuting population.