Surat-Kurnool Greenfield Expressway to trim Delhi-Chennai travel by 320 km

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari announced on Wednesday that the proposed Surat-Kurnool Greenfield Expressway will shorten the distance between Delhi and Chennai by around 320 kilometres upon completion.

Speaking during Question Hour in Rajya Sabha, Gadkari highlighted the project's national significance. “Greenfield Expressway is going to reduce the distance between Delhi and Chennai by 320 kms, which in turn will reduce the cost and because of the highway, we will also reduce the time period," he said.

The highway will originate in Surat and traverse key cities including Nashik, Ahmednagar, Solapur and Kurnool, before linking to major southern hubs such as Chennai, Kanyakumari, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kochi. Officials noted it will connect numerous business centres, enabling trucks transporting food, raw materials, and manufactured goods to reach markets faster, the report added.

Gadkari emphasised that current highways linking North and South India are overcrowded, with the Pune-Kolhapur stretch forming a critical yet congested segment of the national road network. The new route will offer an alternative path, easing traffic jams on busy stretches around Pune and Kolhapur, where heavy volumes of trucks, buses, and cars currently ply between northern and southern regions.

The minister underscored the project's role in enhancing nationwide connectivity beyond state boundaries. Vehicles heading from Delhi to southern India will gain a shorter, faster option, while completion of ongoing highways will enable Delhi-Mumbai travel in about 12 hours.

Gadkari described the decision to construct the Mumbai-Delhi expressway — a historical step — as already 70 to 80 per cent complete. The initiative aims to streamline travel for work, business and tourism while decongesting existing roads.