Bharuch – Navsari stretch of Delhi – Mumbai Expressway likely to fully open by November-end

NAVSARI : The Bharuch–Kharel (Navsari) section of the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway is expected to open for traffic by the end of November, marking another milestone in the completion of this major infrastructure project. Orders have been issued to complete the remaining construction work between Ankleshwar and Kim, paving the way for full connectivity across the stretch.

The Delhi–Mumbai Expressway is divided into two major parts — Delhi–Vadodara and Vadodara–Virar. While the Gujarat portion of the Delhi–Vadodara section is still under construction, several packages of the Vadodara–Virar section that pass through Gujarat are either nearly ready or already operational.

At present, commuters have seamless connectivity from Ahmedabad up to Bharuch, as the Ahmedabad–Vadodara Expressway (NE-1) and the Vadodara–Bharuch stretch of the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway are operational. Subsequently, the Kim–Ena package was temporarily opened to ease traffic congestion.

It is now learned that all construction work on the Ena–Kharel stretch, including the toll plaza, has been fully completed. However, work is still underway to widen the narrow service road that connects Kharel to National Highway 48 through an underpass. Additionally, the section between Bharuch and Kim requires shutdown work on five high-tension power lines — a technically challenging task. The Ministry of Power has granted approval for this work, which is expected to be completed by mid-November or, at the latest, by November 30.

Once these tasks are completed within the next 40 days, the entire Bharuch–Kharel stretch of the expressway will be opened to traffic, enabling continuous movement from Ahmedabad to Navsari.

While the Ahmedabad–Kharel route is expected to become fully operational soon, a significant portion of work remains pending between Kharel and Valsad, extending towards Mumbai. According to officials, even if construction begins shortly, it may take more than one and a half years to complete this section.