Delhi Mumbai Expressway: Route, completion date and status

With an intention of linking two economic hubs of the country, the government of India planned the Delhi Mumbai Expressway, a 1,380-km controlled access highway, which would cut down the travel time between the two major cities from 24 hours to 12 hours. The foundation stone for the project was laid in March 2019 and is expected to be completed by December 2024.

The eight-lane Delhi Mumbai expressway will cover the Delhi Mumbai distance by passing through five states and several greenfield sites, which will be developed into warehousing hubs.

See also: All about Pune Mumbai expressway toll

To address vehicular pollution concerns, the government also plans to build a separate e-highway on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway that will allow commercial vehicles like trucks and buses to move at a speed of 120 kmph. The e-highway is also expected to reduce the logistics costs in the country by 70%.

The Delhi Mumbai expressway, which will be India’s largest greenfield expressway, is near completion. The country now has a network of over 1.40 lakh kilometres of national highways as against 90,000 kilometre in March 2014.

PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the first stretch of the expressway from Sohna in Haryana to Dausa in Rajasthan on February 12, 2023. It will be open for traffic on February 14, 2023. Covering 246 km, the section will reduce travel time from Delhi to Jaipur to just three hours from the current five hours. Developed at the cost of over Rs 12,150 crore, the section will be directly connected with the Mumbai-Delhi Expressway from DND to Jaitpur, from Jaitpur to Ballabhgarh and from Ballabhgarh to Sohna.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has said that it will develop the Delhi Mumbai expressway, along with the Hyderabad-Bengaluru corridor as digital highways for faster rollout of technologies such as 5G networks. There are plans to set up around 10,000 km of optic fibre cables (OFC) across the country by 2025.

As per an official statement by NHAI, the National Highways Logistics Management (NHLML), a fully owned special purpose vehicle (SPV) of NHAI, will implement the OFC network by building integrated utility corridors along the national highways (NHs).

A 245-km section of the Delhi-Mumbai expressway passes through Madhya Pradesh. Of the nine columns in the state, work has been completed in eight columns, Anurag Jain, secretary, road transport and highways ministry said. The first of the four planned multi-modal logistics parks in India would come up in Indore, the official said. The acquisition of 300 acre of land for the facility would be completed by September 2023 and construction would start under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, he added.

On October 2, 2023, prime minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new section of the Delhi-Mumbai expressway, from Delhi to Vadodara. The Delhi- Vadodara Expressway is an eight-lane access-controlled expressway, covering 845 km. The section is expected to boost connectivity between the states, reducing travel time between the cities from 18-20 hours to 10 hours. The remaining section of the expressway is expected to be completed by 2024.

See also: All about Bharatmala project

Of the 1,386-km Delhi-Mumbai expressway, the highest share is in Gujarat at 432 km and work on 186 km is complete. Another major portion is in Rajasthan, spanning 374 km where work on 350 km has been completed. In Madhya Pradesh, 244 km out of 245 km is almost completed. In Delhi, 3.5 km of the nine km-long project work has been completed. In Haryana, work on 117 km out of 130 km length has been completed, as mentioned in a News18 report. Two of the sections of this stretch are critical and the progress is little slow on the 35 km part. Of these two, one is 26 km-long, where 75% work has been completed and another is eight km-long, where 45% of work has been completed.

 

Delhi Mumbai Expressway: Quick facts

Name	Delhi Mumbai Expressway
Length	1,380-km
Estimated cost	Rs 1,00,000 crore
Status	In progress
Lane	Eight
Project model	Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model
Owner	National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)
Travel time	12 hours
Inauguration	December 2024

 

Delhi Mumbai Expressway: Latest updates

PM inaugurates Vadodara-Bharuch section of Delhi-Mumbai expressway

February 28, 2024: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on February 20, 2024, inaugurated the 86-km Vadodara-Bharuch section of the Delhi-Mumbai expressway. After inaugurating the expressway, the prime minister posted on X (Twitter) “Inauguration of the Vadodara-Bharuch section of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway today marks a milestone in infrastructure development for Gujarat. This crucial stretch not only enhances connectivity between major economic hubs but also promises a smoother journey for several people.”

Surat stretch of Delhi-Mumbai expressway to open by March 2024

January 10, 2024: The government is planning to make the Delhi-Surat section of the Delhi-Mumbai expressway operational by March 2024. Two additional stretches of over 300 kilometre (km) are nearing completion. According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways document, a 100-km section between Vadodara and Ankleshwar is almost completed and is set for inauguration. Another 205 km section between Lalsot and Jhalawar is also nearing completion. There are nine packages between Lalsot and the Rajasthan-Madhya Pradesh border, work is 100% finished in two, covering 79 km. On another 66 km section, more than 90% work is completed, while on an additional 60 km, work is more than 80% completed, as mentioned in a News18 report.

Around 67% of work has been completed on the 920 km section of the 1,386-km Delhi-Mumbai expressway as of December 2023. As per media reports, the ministry plans to open sections that are ready, with four packages between Vadodara and Ankleswar expected to be operational in the coming weeks. The entire Delhi-Mumbai section is expected to be open for traffic movement by December 2024, while the Mumbai to Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust segment is scheduled for completion in 2025.

NHAI allocates Rs 537 cr to connect Jewar Airport with Yamuna, Delhi Mumbai Expressway

June 28, 2023: The NHAI has allotted Rs 537 crore for connecting the upcoming Noida International Airport with Yamuna Expressway and the Delhi Mumbai Expressway. A 750-metre road will be built to directly link the Jewar Airport with the Yamuna Expressway. Moreover, a 31-km expressway link is being constructed to link the airport with the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway through Ballabhgarh in Haryana. The NHAI is planning to build an interchange at the 30-km point on the Yamuna Expressway, where it will intersect with the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway. The proposed link road between Jewar and Delhi-Mumbai Expressway will provide connectivity between the Noida Airport and the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi.

 

Delhi Mumbai Expressway route

The Delhi Mumbai expressway, which is being developed at an expense of Rs 98,000 crores, will pass through five states, namely Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra. The expressway will begin from Gurgaon and pass through Jaipur and Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan, Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh and Vadodara in Gujarat.

The greenfield expressway will help reduce the Delhi Mumbai distance from 727 to 572 kilometres.

The Sohna-Dausa section will cover 160 km in Haryana, passing through Gurugram, Palwal and Nuh districts. It will cover 11 villages in the Gurugram district, seven villages in Palwal and 47 villages in the Nuh district.

The Delhi-Vadodara section of the Delhi-Mumbai expressway will pass through several states such as Rajasthan (373 km), Madhya Pradesh (244 km) and Haryana (79 km). The Delhi- Vadodara Expressway will start from Sohna–Gurgaon Road near Alipur village and connect NE-1 Ahmedabad interchange at Dodka village.

The Vadodara-Bharuch section inaugurated on February 20, 2024, covers a distance of 86 kilometre, connecting the two cities and reducing travel time to around 40 minutes.

• The first section of 31 km from Manubar to Sampa has been developed at a cost of over Rs 2,400 crore.
• The second section of 32 km from Sampa to Padra has been developed at a cost of over Rs 3,200 crore.
• The third section of 23 km from Padra to Vadodara has been developed at the cost of over Rs 4,300 crore.

See also: Pink line metro route in Delhi, status, map and stations

 

See also: All about the Samruddhi Mahamarg Mumbai Nagpur expressway

 

Delhi Mumbai Expressway route in Haryana

The expressway will start at NH919 from Bhirawati village in Sohna. It will run parallel to the Delhi-Alwar route in Haryana and will exit the state at Kolgaon village, Ferozpur Jhirka.

• NH919 (Sohna – Palwal), flyover interchange at Bhirawati village in Sohna.
• Western Peripheral Expressway (KMP Expressway) cloverleaf interchange near Khalilpur village.
• MDR132, flyover interchange east of Ujina on Nuh-Hodal link.
• MDR135, interchange between Bhadas-Hathin in Bhadas.
• MDR131, flyover interchange towards the west of Pinangwan on Moolthan-Hodal section.
• NH22, flyover interchange east of Ferozepur Jhirka.
• Kolgaon village, south of Ferozpur Jhirka on the Haryana-Rajasthan border.

See also: All about eastern peripheral expressway

Delhi Mumbai Expressway route in Rajasthan

• Alwar, interchanges at NH45, NH14 and NH44.
• Rajgarh interchange at NH25A.
• NH148, interchange on Manoharpur-Dausa highway.
• Jaipur, intersections at NH21 and NH23.
• NH552, interchange south-west of Sawai Madhopur.
• NH29, Indragarh interchange.
• Kota, interchanges at NH34, NH52 and NH27.
• NH9A, Rawatbhata interchange.
• NH31A, Neemuch interchange.

Delhi Mumbai Expressway route in Madhya Pradesh

• Interchange east of Bhanpura-Neemuch.
• East of Garoth.
• Mandsaur, interchanges at NH31 and NH14.
• Jaora.
• Ratlam and Banswara.
• Thandla.

Construction work on a stretch of 106 kms in Madhya Pradesh has already been completed and the remaining work will be completed by November 2022.

Delhi Mumbai Expressway route in Gujarat

• Dahod at Chhayan village
• Godhra
• Vadodara
• Surat
• Navsari

Delhi Mumbai Expressway route in Maharashtra

• Valsad
• Vapi-Silvassa
• Virar (Palghar district)
• Amane and Badlapur (Thane district)
• Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT), Navi Mumbai

The Delhi Mumbai expressway will link urban centers of the national capital through the Delhi-Faridabad-Sohna section of the corridor, along with a branch leading to the Jewar Airport and another to Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Mumbai.

Also read the latest developments on the Delhi Dehradun Expressway.

 

Delhi Mumbai Expressway features: Sustainable infrastructure

Wildlife crossings

The upcoming expressway, which will also be the longest greenfield expressway, will have India’s first animal bridges or animal overpasses. These will be designed to keep the wildlife section unaffected from the new infrastructure. There will be around five such animal overpasses, with a combined length of around 2.5 kms, passing through Ranthambore wildlife corridor and Mukundra wildlife sanctuaries in Rajasthan.

Environment-friendly features

The greenfield Delhi Mumbai expressway is also expected to cut around 850 million kg of carbon dioxide emissions. Besides, about 32 crore liters of fuel will be saved every year, owing to reduced traffic congestion. The lights on the expressway will operate on solar power. The expressway will have a tree cover of two million trees, watered with drip irrigation on the entire stretch with rainwater harvesting system at every 500 metres.

E-highway

There are plans to develop an e-highway, which is expected to cut down the logistics costs. Four lanes on this eight-lane expressway will be for e-vehicles only. A 1.5-metre-high wall will be constructed on both sides of the road for security. Toll plazas will be set up in slip lanes instead of highways.

See also: All about the Purvanchal Expressway

 

Delhi Mumbai Expressway: Project construction phases

With a total length of 1,350 kilometres across six states, the Delhi-Mumbai highway road will be developed in four sections with a total of 52 construction packages. The approximate length of each package is eight km to 46 km.

• DND-Faridabad-KMP section of 59 km (Number of Packages: 03 – 1 in Delhi and 2 in Haryana)
• Sohna-KMP-Vadodara section of 844 km (Number of Packages: 31 – 3 in Haryana, 13 in Rajasthan, 9 in MP and 6 in Gujarat)
• Vadodara-Virar section of 354 km (Number of Packages: 13 – 10 in Gujarat and 3 in Maharashtra)
• Virar-JNPT section of 92 km (Number of Packages: 05 – 05 in Maharashtra)

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Delhi Mumbai Expressway: Timeline

January 2019: Land acquisition for Haryana stretch completed. Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh yet to acquire land.

March 2019: Foundation stone laid by union minister Nitin Gadkari. 148 kms of work awarded and rest of the contract to be awarded over six months.

September 2019: Civil work begins. Deadline for the project set to 2020.

February 2020: Deadline postponed to January 26, 2023.

June 2020: Detailed project report (DPR) yet to be prepared for the last 33-km stretch. Around 497 kms are under-construction while the contract is yet to be awarded for 162 kms.

February 2021: During the Union Budget 2021 presentation, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the contract works for the remaining 260 kms would be awarded before March 2021.

February 12, 2023: Sohna-Dausa section of Delhi Mumbai expressway to become operational.

See also: PM lays foundation stone for Bundelkhand Expressway

 

Delhi Mumbai Expressway: Cost

The Delhi Mumbai Expressway, connecting two major metro cities, is a flagship greenfield project implemented under the Bharatmala Pariyojna Phase-1 program. The expressway project is being executed in 52 construction packages. According to an official release by the government, out of the 1,380 kilometres, contracts for more than 1,200 kilometres have already been awarded and are under progress.

The Delhi Mumbai expressway project is being developed at a cost of around Rs 1,00,000 crores, including the land acquisition cost. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has set up a special purpose vehicle (SPV), DME Developers (DMEL), to finance the expressway project and it will be fully owned by the Authority. The NHAI recently said that the SPV had received AAA rating from CRISIL, CARE and India Ratings.

According to a recent statement by the NHAI, the SPV has raised Rs 9,731 crores to part-fund the project. The major share of the funding came from State Bank of India that contributed Rs 5,000 crores. Other investors in the SPV are Punjab National Bank, Bank of Maharashtra and Axis Bank.

Over 160 km long section of the Delhi Mumbai highway road passing through Haryana will be constructed with around Rs 10,400 crores. As per the government, it will benefit nearly 73 villages, and the expressway will help cut down 27% of vehicular pollution in Delhi NCR.

The Sohna-Dausa stretch has been developed at the cost of over Rs 12,150 crore.

See also: All about the Lucknow to Agra Expressway

FAQs

How long does it take to drive from Delhi to Mumbai?

At present, it takes 22-24 hours to drive between Delhi and Mumbai.

How far away is Mumbai from Delhi?

The total distance between Mumbai and Delhi is 1,400 kms.

When will the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway be completed?

The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway is expected to be inaugurated in January 2023.

(With additional inputs from Surbhi Gupta)

 

Got any questions or point of view on our article? We would love to hear from you. Write to our Editor-in-Chief Jhumur Ghosh at jhumur.ghosh1@housing.com