Delhi-Vadodara in 9 Hours? NHAI to Open 845-km Stretch of Delhi-Mumbai Expressway by October

In a major relief to commuters travelling from Delhi to Haryana , Rajasthan , Madhya Pradesh , and Gujarat , the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is set to open an 845-km section of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway by October. This section is part of the larger Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, which, once completed, will be the longest expressway in the country, spanning a total of 1,386 kilometres.

According to NHAI, “80% of the work on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway has been completed.” The 845-km stretch from Delhi to Vadodara is nearing completion, and the remaining sections are expected to be ready by next month. Initially, the completion date for the project was set for August, but due to unforeseen technical delays, it has been revised to October. NHAI officials have expressed confidence that the expressway will be “ready by Diwali.”

Previously, a 293-km-long stretch from Delhi to Dausa Sawai Madhopur and a 245-km-long section between Jhalawar, Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh , and Gujarat were opened for public use. The final 159-km-long stretch from Sawai Madhopur to Jhalawar and the 148-km-long portion from the Madhya Pradesh-Gujarat border to Vadodara are expected to be completed soon.

The expressway, which will begin from Sohna in Haryana and extend to Maharashtra , passing through Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh , will enhance connectivity to several major cities, including Jaipur, Ajmer, Kishangarh, Kota, Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Sawai Madhopur, Bhopal, Ujjain, Indore, and Surat.

Currently, the road distance from Delhi to Vadodara is about 1,300 kilometres, but once the expressway is fully operational, this distance will be reduced to 900 kilometres. "By train, it takes more than 14 hours to cover the distance of 1,100 km." With the expressway in place, road travel time is estimated to drop significantly, with commuters able to cover the distance in just nine hours.

This development is expected to bring significant benefits to the region, not only by improving travel times but also by boosting trade and economic activities between the states