Delhi-Mumbai Expressway Faces Fresh Delays As Gujarat Stretches Lag Behind

The much-awaited Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, which was planned to cut the travel time between the two megacities to a mere 12 hours, has run into a major setback, extending its completion by two years.

The setback is mainly due to slow work in Gujarat, where three key stretches covering 87 kilometres are yet to be completed, according to a report by The Times of India.

A 35 kilometre stretch in Gujarat has registered no progress, while two others have made progress of just 7 per cent and 35 per cent respectively, TOI reported.

The expressway, which covers 1,382 kilometres from Delhi to Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra, was originally expected to be completed by March 2024.

Due to various issues, it was later put forward to October 2025, which now seems an impossible target.

Earlier, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, conducted a review meeting with National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials and the Road Transport Ministry, emphasising the need to speed up the remaining work.

Substantial headway has been achieved in Haryana, and the Rajasthan segment is expected to be completed by March-April 2026.

In Maharashtra, the majority of construction packages will be finished by the end of 2025, with the exception of the 21 kilometre section connecting Jawaharlal Nehru Port.

Earlier designed under Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), the section is now handed over to NHAI, with the cost estimates being expected to be prepared soon for necessary approvals.

Under normal highway construction timeframes, each section normally takes two years from start of construction to completion, according to the ToI report.

Therefore, the delayed 35 kilometre stretch in Gujarat, given to a single contractor, would now be complete by February 2027.

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