News: Foundation stone of Dwarka e-way’s Delhi section laid, 2 years to go-09-03-2019
Union finance minister Arun Jaitley laid the foundation stone for the Delhi segment of the much-delayed Dwarka Expressway project in Dwarka on Friday. (Vipin Kumar/HT PHOTO)
Union finance minister Arun Jaitley laid the foundation stone for the Delhi segment of the much-delayed Dwarka Expressway project in Dwarka on Friday.
The Expressway is 29 kilometres (km) long, of which 10.1 km falls in Delhi and 18.9 km in Haryana. While the project has been delayed by over a decade, government officials said they are likely to finish it in the next two years.
The foundation stone of the Rs 90,000-crore Delhi-Mumbai Expressway was also laid on Friday, by external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, at the venue.
The ministers also dedicated the Rs 1,217-crore Jaipur ring road to the nation.
The Dwarka Expressway was planned in 2006 by the Haryana government and a contract awarded in 2011.
The project, however, was delayed due to obstacles in land acquisition and also poor coordination among the Haryana and Delhi governments.
Speaking on the occasion, Union minister for transport and highways, Nitin Gadkari, said that despite the Expressway being a shorter highway than most, difficulties in land acquisition for the project were immense and working with two state governments posed a complex challenge. “Despite the hurdles, we had promised to complete the road and it was due to the cooperation of Delhi and Haryana governments that it has progressed so far,” said Gadkari.
Jaitley said that this road will not only reduce congestion but also lead to development and growth in the region. “These expressways will boost the economy of the country as highways boosted the economy of the United States,” he said.
Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar said that the Jaipur Ring Road will help residents of Gurugram and West Delhi, who frequently travel to Gurugram for work. “This road will reduce congestion and pollution,” he said.
Swaraj said the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, said that this road will boost economic growth along this corridor.
