The completion of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway is facing delays, primarily due to construction setbacks in Gujarat. Initially slated for completion in March 2024, the deadline was first extended to October 2025. However, recent assessments indicate that the project may not be fully operational until 2027.
The delays have been attributed to three sections in Gujarat, according to a report in TOI, totalling 87 kilometers. One 35-kilometer stretch has seen no physical progress, while the other two have achieved only 7% and 35% completion, respectively.
Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari conducted reviews of the project and urged officials to expedite the construction process. Once completed, the expressway is expected to reduce travel time between Delhi and Mumbai to approximately 12 hours.
The expressway, spanning 1,386 kilometers, passes through Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra. Sections in Haryana have been completed and those in Rajasthan are expected to be ready by March-April 2026. However, the delays in Gujarat are a major hindrance to the project's overall timeline.
In Maharashtra, most packages of the expressway are expected to be completed by the end of this year, except for a 21-kilometer link to the Jawaharlal Nehru Port.
Despite ongoing efforts to accelerate construction, the challenges in Gujarat clearly show that the expressway may not be fully operational until 2027.
The Rs 1 lakh crore Delhi-Mumbai Expressway project was divided into smaller contracts to allow simultaneous construction.
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