September 2, 2025: With the objective of linking two of India’s largest economic centres, the Union government is building the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway, a 1,380-km controlled access highway that aims to cut travel time between the two metros from 24 hours to 12. Once complete, the corridor will be the country’s largest greenfield expressway. The foundation stone was laid in March 2019, and the project is being developed at a cost of nearly Rs 1 lakh crore.
The expressway’s commissioning schedule has been revised on multiple occasions. Although the initial target was October 2025, delays in several stretches have pushed the deadline to 2027. At present, around 82% of the work has been completed. Of the total 1,156 km under active construction, 774 km is operational. The project is being executed in four sections and 52 packages. A key stretch between Sohna in Haryana and Dausa in Rajasthan was inaugurated in February 2023, reducing the drive between the two cities to two hours. In February 2024, an 86-km stretch from Vadodara to Bharuch was opened, cutting travel time to about 40 minutes. The Bandikui spur connecting Delhi and Jaipur became operational in July 2025, reducing travel time between the two cities from nearly four hours to about three.
The eight-lane expressway, expandable to 12 lanes, will traverse six states—Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra. It begins at the DND Flyway in Delhi and Sohna in Haryana, moving through Jaipur and Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan, Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh and Vadodara in Gujarat, before terminating at Virar and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust in Maharashtra. The permitted speed will be 120 kmph. The route is expected to shorten the distance between Delhi and Mumbai from 1,424 km to 1,242 km. Over 40 interchange points will connect key urban centres, including Jaipur, Kota, Vadodara, Surat, Indore and Bhopal. The Sohna–Dausa corridor alone has reduced the drive between Gurgaon and Jaipur considerably.
The government plans to link the corridor with several other expressways. These include the Agra–Gwalior greenfield expressway, the Bundelkhand expressway in Uttar Pradesh, and the Chennai–Surat expressway via Surat. The Trans-Haryana Expressway will connect Paniyala in Haryana to Barodameo in Rajasthan, helping decongest the Delhi–NCR region. In addition, a four-lane spur near Bandikui will strengthen access to Jaipur. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has also sanctioned Rs 537 crore for linking the upcoming Noida International Airport with the Yamuna Expressway and the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway. A 31-km connector through Ballabhgarh in Haryana is under construction, which will enable seamless movement between Jewar Airport and the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi.
The expressway is being built with several modern features. Optical fibre cables, pipelines, solar power systems and helipads will be integrated into the route. There are plans for India’s first dedicated electric vehicle lanes, aimed at cutting logistics costs by up to 70 per cent. More than 90 exit points, 94 wayside amenities and 2,000 water recharge stations are planned. The project also incorporates environment-friendly measures. NHAI officials say the expressway could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 850 million kilograms and save 32 crore litres of fuel annually. Solar-powered lighting, a plantation of two million trees with drip irrigation, and rainwater harvesting every 500 metres are part of the design. Wildlife conservation has also been prioritised. Five animal overpasses, with a combined length of 2.5 km, have been built through the Ranthambore and Mukundra corridors in Rajasthan, along with a 1.2 km underpass for large animals. These are the first of their kind in India.
The project is being executed under the Public–Private Partnership model, with the NHAI owning the asset. Toll plazas are located at points such as Shamshabad, Khalipur, Pinan and Barakapara. On the Delhi–Gurgaon stretch, cars are charged Rs85 per trip, while light vehicles pay up to Rs 120, and buses and heavy trucks up to Rs 250.
The expressway is expected to become a catalyst for real estate development across the corridor. New townships, housing clusters and logistics hubs are being planned in states along the route. Sohna in Haryana, in particular, has emerged as a preferred investment destination due to its proximity to both Gurgaon and the Sohna–Dausa stretch. According to the Department of Town and Country Planning, more than 40 housing projects and several commercial developments are in the pipeline in the region. Property values have risen sharply since construction began. Over the past three years, land prices along the corridor have increased by nearly 60 to 70%, with some areas such as Dausa witnessing year-on-year growth of more than 40%. In Maharashtra, land values around the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust are expected to rise by 30 to 40%.
The logistics sector is also projected to benefit from improved connectivity and reduced travel time between India’s busiest economic centres. Industry observers say warehousing and distribution hubs are likely to come up along the route, reducing costs and improving efficiency. When completed, the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway will not only reduce travel time between the two metros but also stimulate industrial growth, boost real estate and logistics, and integrate multiple state economies. With over four-fifths of the project already delivered, the focus now lies on completing the remaining stretches by 2027.
Source: Housing.com
