Work on the ambitious 1,386-km Mumbai-Delhi Expressway has reached a significant milestone, with 1,156 km now complete, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. Spanning six states—Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, and the national capital Delhi—the expressway promises to transform long-distance travel by reducing journey time between Mumbai and Delhi from nearly 24 hours to just 12 hours.
The ministry highlighted that, as of June 2024, the project had achieved 82 percent physical progress with 1,136 km already constructed. Despite initial delays due to slow contractor progress, land acquisition challenges, and force majeure situations, the government has taken steps to expedite the remaining work. The revised project completion timeline is set for October 2025, officials confirmed. While most of the expressway is operational, certain packages totaling 140 km between Surat and the Gujarat-Maharashtra border have faced delays. Officials noted that these sections are being closely monitored to ensure the final stretch meets scheduled deadlines. “The government is taking all relevant steps to ensure the timely completion of the remaining length,” a MoRTH spokesperson said.
Once completed, the Mumbai-Delhi Expressway will become India’s longest expressway, surpassing all existing national corridors. It is designed as an eight-lane highway with provisions to expand to twelve lanes in the future, supporting a design speed of 120 km/hr. The expressway’s route has been strategically planned to improve connectivity between major industrial, residential, and commercial hubs, significantly boosting regional trade and mobility. The expressway’s development represents a massive infrastructure investment of nearly ₹1 lakh crore. Beyond shortening travel time, it aims to ease congestion on the existing NH-48, which spans 1,440 km and is currently plagued by traffic bottlenecks. Experts anticipate that the corridor will also reduce vehicular emissions by decreasing fuel consumption, contributing to more sustainable intercity travel aligned with India’s zero net carbon objectives.
Officials stressed that the final cost of the project will be determined after completion of the remaining sections. Once fully operational, the expressway will not only serve as a faster transport route but also support economic growth by improving supply chain efficiency across five states and the national capital region. With India rapidly expanding its expressway network, the Mumbai-Delhi corridor is set to become a flagship project, combining engineering excellence, strategic planning, and sustainable infrastructure development.
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