NHAI’s progress report on Delhi-Mumbai Expressway shows work on track

NEW DELHI : Under the Bharatmala Pariyojna – the Government of India’s highway development scheme – the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has been working on developing the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, and released a monthly progress report on its construction. The Expressway, a part of which is already functional between Sohna (Haryana) and Dausa (Rajasthan), connects Delhi to Mumbai via Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat.

NHAI’s report provides detailed updates on the progress of the construction of the 1,386 km long road network, including information on the construction of each section of the expressway, including the status of land acquisition, utility shifting, and construction work.

The expressway is being hailed to significantly reduce travel time between India’s two major economic hubs, thereby also giving a push to trade and commerce. Major manufacturing and trade hubs like Jaipur, Kishangarh, Ajmer, Kota, Chittorgarh, Udaipur, Bhopal, Ujjain, Indore, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, and Surat are expected to become more accessible once the Expressway is completed. Additionally, the NHAI is also developing an extended linkage between the Delhi Noida Direct (DND) Flyway and the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway for a seamless connectivity.

The project is also expected to create employment opportunities and provide impetus to the development of the regions through which it passes.

NHAI’s package based report indicates that significant progress has been made in the construction of the expressway, and the project is on track to meet its completion deadline. There is, however, some delay on the Gujarat stretch of the Expressway due to land acquisition problems.