- By Imran Zafar
- Sat, 21 Dec 2024 02:27 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, which is expected to cut down travel time between two major Indian cities to 12 hours, faces further delays in its completion. Minister of State (MoS) for Road Transport and Highways, Harsh Malhotra, on Friday said the entire expressway will now only be completed in 2026. The much-awaited expressway, which was initially expected to be completed by January 2023, has faced repeated delays due to technical and logistical hurdles.
MoS Harsh Malhotra cited land acquisition issues as a significant factor behind the delays. "Work is progressing, but technical and practical problems, especially involving land acquisition from the general public, have caused setbacks," he said. The project was initially launched in March 2019 and has seen multiple revisions to its deadline.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari also acknowledged challenges in constructing the Delhi-Vadodara section, revealing that experts from IIT Kharagpur are investigating damages in certain areas of the Sohna-Dausa section caused by heavy monsoon rains. Contractors are repairing these damages at their own cost, with strict action promised against any faults identified.
Delhi-Mumbai Expressway Route
The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway is currently partially operational. The first stretch, connecting Sohna in Haryana to Dausa in Rajasthan, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2023. Earlier this week, another section in Rajasthan was opened by PM Narendra Modi.
Spanning 1,386 kilometres, the expressway is designed to connect Delhi to the Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Maharashtra, passing through Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra. Once completed, it will reduce the 24-hour road journey between Delhi and Mumbai to just 12 hours.
The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway links the Sohna Elevated Corridor in Delhi to Virar in Maharashtra. Additional spurs, such as the DND–Faridabad–KMP (59 km) and Virar–JNPT (92 km), extend its length to 1,386 kilometres.
Beyond cutting travel time between Delhi and Mumbai, the expressway is expected to shorten travel durations between Delhi and other cities, such as Jaipur, to three hours. This infrastructure project aims to boost connectivity, reduce logistics costs and drive economic growth across multiple states.
