Delhi-Mumbai Expressway Project Update: Gujarat Sections Lag Behind, Deadline Pushed Further

The construction of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway is facing delays in multiple sections, especially in Gujarat, which may push the project deadline further, according to a News18 report.

The expressway, which was initially expected to be completed by October 2025, is progressing at different speeds in various states.

Photo Credit: PTI

In Gujarat, the work between Vadodara and Surat is divided into five sections. The last 25 kilometres stretch has seen almost 50 per cent progress. However, the section from Surat to the Maharashtra border, also divided into five sections, is lagging. In two sections covering 60 kilometres, the progress is below 10 per cent, while in another 25 kilometres stretch, it is below 30 per cent. In a 30 km section, nearly half of the work is done.

In contrast, the expressway is already operational in Madhya Pradesh, covering about 250 kilometres. In Haryana, the main section is completed and functioning, with a spur nearing completion. Rajasthan has some pending sections, including a tunnel, which officials expect to be ready within the next year.

However, in Maharashtra, the expressway is unlikely to be ready before late 2026, according to officials.

The entire expressway spans 1,386 kilometres, divided into 53 sections, including additional connecting roads. By July 2024, work on 26 sections had been completed, and the overall progress of the project stood at 82 per cent. So far, 619 kilometres of the expressway is operational, covering key routes such as Delhi-Dausa-Sawai Madhopur, Jhalawar-Ratlam-MP/Gujarat border, and Vadodara-Bharuch.

The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway is expected to reduce the travel distance between Delhi and Navi Mumbai's Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority by 180 kilometres. Once fully operational, it will also cut travel time significantly, offering an alternative to the congested NH-48 route.

The expressway, built at a cost of over Rs 1 lakh crore, will connect major economic hubs across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. Despite its incomplete status, it has already become India's longest expressway, News18 had reported in July 2024.