Gurugram, Mar 7 (IANS): Decks have been cleared for the much-delayed Dwarka Expressway project, said Union Minister of State Rao Inderjit Singh on Wednesday.

Singh, who represents Gurugram constituency in the Parliament, said Union Minister of Road Transport Nitin Gadkari will lay the foundation stone on March 8 for the stretch falling under the territory of Delhi. He will also lay the foundation stone for ambitious Delhi-Mumbai six-lane expressway the same day.

Singh, who was in Gurugram to take part in a meeting of Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority, chaired by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, said: "The Dwarka Expressway project got delayed due to non-acquisition of land in Delhi. All the hurdles have been cleared now and the construction work will begin soon," Singh said.

The initial plan of 18-km expressway (6 lanes) connecting NH 8 at Kherkidhaula with Delhi's suburban town Dwarka had been proposed in 2007 and its construction was scheduled to start in 2009, with completion time of 36 months.

"But the project was delayed due to delay in acquisition of land in Gurugram by Haryana Sahari Vikas Pradhikaran (earlier known as Haryana Urban Development Authority) under the regime of both Sheila Dixit and Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi."

Out of the 18-km stretch, four km falls in Delhi. In 2016, Nitin Gadkari had decided to extend the length of this expressway by five more kilometres to connect with NH 8 at Shiv Murti near Mahipalpur to give an arc-like shape, with an aim to reduce the burden of the Delhi-Gurugram Expressway.

"The 14-km stretch falling under Gurugram has almost been completed and the construction of remaining stretch falling under Delhi will start soon after the laying of foundation stone," Singh said.