The much-awaited Dwarka Expressway in Gurgaon is facing another possible delay, despite being near completion. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had planned to open the Haryana portion of the expressway by the end of this month, but now it might not be operational until June due to a delay in shifting utility services.

Although 95% of the work on the 18-kilometer stretch of the expressway in the city is complete, the NHAI officials cannot commission the expressway until a 220 kVA high-tension line near Garhi Harsaru Chowk is relocated. The cable is currently at a height of less than 5 meters, causing major safety concerns, as the minimum clearance for a high-tension cable is 8 meters from the ground.

Officials have been asking the Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam Limited (HVPNL) to expedite the shifting process for timely opening of the expressway. However, a senior HVPNL official stated that they are “in touch with their counterparts” and that the shifting work is already under way and will be completed within a month.

Once the utility services are shifted, a road safety audit will be conducted, and the stretch will be fully operational. The NHAI official expects that the stretch will be open for public use by June, as the finishing work is already under way. The cloverleaf connecting the expressway to NH-8 and Southern Peripheral Road is likely to be ready by the end of the year.

The Dwarka Expressway project was announced in 2007 and was conceptualized as a northern ring road between Shiv Murti and Kherki Daula. The work on the Gurgaon section started in November 2019, with an initial deadline of 24 months. However, the work has been repeatedly delayed due to suspension of construction, land litigation, the pandemic, construction bans amid high pollution levels, and the collapse of a part of the road near Daultabad Chowk in March 2021.