Delhi-Mumbai Expressway Update: 82% Complete, Travel Time To Halve By 2025

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that 1,156 kilometres of the 1,386-kilometres Delhi-Mumbai Expressway has been built so far. Out of this, 756 kilometres are already open for public use.

As of June 2024, the total progress of the project stands at 82 per cent, with 1,136 km physically completed, according to MoRTH. The full expressway was earlier expected to be ready by October 2025, as reported by News18.

Photo Credit: PTI

However, work has been delayed in five parts of the project, which cover 140 kilometres between Surat and the Gujarat-Maharashtra border. These delays have further pushed the timeline. The ministry said slow work by contractors, problems in land acquisition, and force majeure events caused the delays. Still, it assured that all efforts are being made to finish the remaining work on time. The final cost of the project will only be clear once all construction is done.

Once complete, the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway will be the longest expressway in India. Even now, with only part of it in use, it is longer than any other expressway in the country.

The expressway will connect Delhi to major regions in Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. It is an eight-lane, access-controlled road built for a top speed of 120 kilometres per hour. The design also allows for future expansion to 12 lanes. The total estimated cost of the project is around Rs 1 lakh crore.

The new route will sharply reduce the travel time between Delhi and Mumbai-from nearly 24 hours on the existing NH-48 to just 12 hours. NH-48 is 1,440 km long and often faces heavy traffic, while the new expressway offers a much faster and smoother journey.