The connectivity between Delhi and Mumbai is set to receive a major boost, with the crucial section linking central Delhi to the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway expected to be operational by June 2026. The government has confirmed that significant steps are being taken towards completing India’s longest expressway. In what comes as a crucial update, Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, in a written reply to the Lok Sabha, has said that the work on the DND-Faridabad-Sohna link, running for a distance of 59 km, is being undertaken in three packages.
He noted that the latter two phases have already been completed and opened. The first phase, concerning the 9-km stretch, which will connect the DND junction to Jaitpur, is now 94.23 per cent complete.
According to the parliamentary record, the minister stated in his reply, "The Project package-1 from DND junction to Jaitpur of 9 km is in an advanced stage of construction... and is scheduled to be completed by June 2026." It is to be noted that the minister was responding to a question from South Delhi MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri.
The minister also gave an important financial update, as he said that an expenditure of a total of Rs 71,718 crore has been done on the upcoming Delhi-Mumbai Expressway project to date.
Once the last segment of the project is opened, it will ensure smooth travel from the heart of Delhi to the expressway network. The upcoming expressway, a 1,350-kilometre corridor, is a flagship infrastructure project. It is being designed as an eight-lane, access-controlled highway. It is slated to feature a design speed of 120 kmph and may also be expanded to 12 lanes in the future.
Running through Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra, this alignment ensures a direct and efficient link between New Delhi and the financial city of Mumbai.
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