The foundation stone of National Highway 709 B, parts of which will connect Delhi’s Akshardham to the Eastern Peripheral Expressway and further till Shamli in Uttar Pradesh, will be laid on January 26, said Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari said on Thursday.

While hitting out at the AAP government for “failing to implement development schemes” in Delhi, Mr. Tiwari said he had taken up the issue of traffic jams in his constituency with Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari.

“Today it is a matter of great pleasure for me that in reply, Mr. Gadkari approved the six-lane NH-709 B of 155 km connecting Baghpat, Shamli, Saharanpur, Geeta Colony and Khajuri Khas at a cost of ₹4,405 crore,” he said.

He added that the work would be completed in 15 to 20 months. Of the total highway, the section from Akshardham till Khajuri Khas Delhi-UP border, which will pass through Geeta Colony and Shastri Park areas, will be 14.75-km-long. From the Delhi-UP border, the highway will go till Mandola intersection with the EPE in UP, a section of 16.57 km. Further, it will go till Shamli and then Saharanpur. Mr. Tiwari said as the MP of North-East Delhi, he had implemented projects of ₹9,000 crore with the help of the Centre, while the Kejriwal government had not been able to implement projects with its ₹53,000 budget.