Delhi-Mumbai Expressway completion further pushed to 2026

The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway is facing further delays. Initially scheduled for completion in January 2023, the expressway’s new deadline has been pushed to 2026, according to media reports. On Friday, Harsh Malhotra, the Minister of State (MoS) for Road Transport and Highways, cited logistical and technical challenges, particularly issues with land acquisition, as key reasons for the repeated setbacks.

He mentioned that experts from IIT Kharagpur are investigating damages caused by heavy monsoon rains in parts of the Sohna-Dausa segment. Contractors are bearing the costs of repairs, and strict penalties are promised for any construction flaws.

Despite these challenges, parts of the expressway are operational. The first segment, connecting Sohna in Haryana to Dausa in Rajasthan, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2023. Another stretch in Rajasthan opened earlier this week. So far, around 630 kilometers of the expressway’s total 1,386 kilometers are in use, including prominent sections like Sohna-Dausa-Sawai Madhopur (293 km) and Jhalawar-MP/Gujarat border (245 km). Officials are optimistic about completing the 845-kilometer stretch from Sohna to Vadodara by March 2025.

Additional sections, including links to Mumbai’s JNPT port, Jewar Airport in Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi’s DND Flyway, are expected to follow soon after.