Delhi to Mumbai drive on new expressway gets another delay, likely to open in 2026. Here’s why

This is the second delay announced this year after Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway will be completed by October next year. Gadkari had said that 80 per cent construction work on the expressway is complete during a written reply in Rajya Sabha in July this year. However, work continues on the expressway amid complaints of poor construction quality besides pending sections.

Delhi-Mumbai Expressway: Reasons for delay

Harsh Malhotra, Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, said, “Work is going on and it will get completed quickly. There are some technical and practical problems. Since the land has to be acquired from the general public, sometimes projects are delayed because of that.” Malhotra’s reaction comes days after Gadkari revealed the status of the project in Parliament where he highlighted poor quality at certain sections of the expressway.

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Gadkari had said there were some deficiencies in the construction of the Delhi to Vadodara section of the expressway. Experts from IIT Kharagpur have also been roped in to investigate damages at certain locations on the Sohna-Dausa section after heavy rains during the monsoon. Gadkari has also said that the contractors responsible for these sections have been reprimanded and asked to do the repair work at their own cost.

The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway has been delayed in the past for various reasons. Construction work for the expressway was started by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in 2018 and was slated to be completed within five years. The foundation stone was laid by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari in March, 2019. In February last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first stretch of the expressway between Sohna in Haryana and Dausa in Rajasthan which is around 209 kms long. Currently, the expressway from Delhi to Mumbai is operational in phases.

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Delhi-Mumbai Expressway: Distance, travel time, speed limit explained

The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway promises to reduce distance and travel time between the two cities. Delhi to Mumbai distance has been reduced by around 180 kms by the new expressway which stretches for 1,386 kms. It will pass through five states including Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra. Delhi has the shortest stretch of nine kms, while most part of the expressway will be in Gujarat with 423-km share.

Delhi to Mumbai drive through the new expressway will also reduce the travel time taken earlier. According to Gadkari, one will take only 12 hours to cover the distance by road instead of around 24 hours taken currently. It also reduces travel time between cities like Jaipur and Delhi.

The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway will allow maximum speed limit any highway in India has to offer. Light vehicles like cars will be able to drive through at 120 kmph.

With eight lanes on offer, the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway is one of the widest highways in India besides being the longest. It will also offer service lanes on either side for access control. The expressway also has provision to be expanded to 12 lanes in future.

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First Published Date: 23 Dec 2024, 09:57 AM IST