Project Overview
The Delhi–Meerut Expressway (DME), spanning approximately 59.8 km with a closed-loop tolling system, is a high-speed urban expressway connecting the Delhi NCR region with Meerut. It carries significant commuter, inter-city, and freight traffic, forming a key mobility corridor in the National Capital Region.
Translink Infrastructure Consultants Pvt. Ltd. was appointed by NHAI to conduct traffic due diligence to support asset monetization. The study involved assessing traffic volumes, travel behavior, tolling patterns, operational characteristics, and revenue potential for India’s first large-scale ANPR-enabled closed tolling highway monetization.
Scope of Work
Traffic Due Diligence
Corridor Length & Configuration
59.8 km & 6 lane
No of Toll Plaza
7
Client & Asset Owner
National Highways Authority of India
Scope of Work
Traffic Due Diligence
Corridor Length & Configuration
59.8 km & 6 lane
No of Toll Plaza
7
Client & Asset Owner
National Highways Authority of India
Challenges
The corridor exhibits highly dynamic traffic behavior influenced by peak-direction commuting, seasonal surges, and modal competition with rail and regional bus networks. Closed-loop tolling based on ANPR requires precise node-to-node origin–destination mapping and classification accuracy.
Traffic diversion risks, reverse lane operations during peak demand, and the influence of urban ring roads and development corridors increased complexity. Ensuring data integrity and reliability for valuation required careful reconciliation across field surveys, operations data, and behavioral analyses.
Solutions
Translink developed a node-based network traffic model coupled with SP/RP travel behavior surveys to capture route choice and diversion tendencies. Peak-hour lane reversal operations were studied to quantify capacity and throughput impacts. Multiple sensitivity scenarios covering tariff, diversion elasticity, fuel price variation, and regional development plans were prepared to estimate stable revenue ranges.
Continuous stakeholder coordination with NHAI, regional planning bodies, and valuation advisors ensured consistency and transparency across datasets and assumptions.
Impact
The study provided a robust, evidence-backed traffic and revenue assessment to support India’s first ANPR-based closed-loop tolling monetization. It enabled the authority and investors to evaluate operational performance, revenue stability, and risk exposure with clarity.
The outcome contributed to informed bidding decisions and strengthened confidence in technology-driven tolling models, establishing a reference framework for future expressway monetization across the country.
