The Indian Government has announced plans to invest Rs50bn ($785m) into the construction of a 16-lane road in Delhi.

Said to be an access-controlled highway, including six lanes as an expressway, the 16-lane project is expected to cut down traffic congestion in the capital city.

The proposed road would connect Delhi with Ghaziabad and Noida on the outskirts.

"This will also ease traffic jams in Delhi and it will pass through the Akshardham temple."

Further plans are underway to construct an Eastern Peripheral Expressway involving an investment of Rs60bn ($942m).

The expressway is set to provide signal-free connectivity between Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gautam Budh Nagar and Palwal.

India Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari was quoted by PTI as saying: "We are making a 16-lane highway on NH-24 from near ITO till Dasna.

"This will also ease traffic jams in Delhi and it will pass through the Akshardham temple."

The NH-24 widening work up to Dasna in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh (UP) to 16 lanes is set to begin in a period of three months, and is part of the Delhi-Meerut Expressway package.

According to an official, the road widening work will start from near the Yamuna Bridge on NH-24 and the carriage way will extend up to Dasna.

Work on the Eastern Peripheral Expressway project is expected to start in a month and reduce traffic jams in Delhi.

The project is slated for completion by July 2018.