The Vadodara-Mumbai stretch of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway is set to become operational by August 31 this year, cutting travel time between the two cities by half, from around eight hours to four, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Sunday.
The Mumbai-Delhi expressway, among India's largest infrastructure undertakings, is an eight-lane, access-controlled greenfield corridor stretching 1,400 km. Being built by the Union government at a cost of roughly Rs 1 lakh crore, it will link Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
Fadnavis said the expressway would significantly speed up travel between Delhi and Mumbai and strengthen connectivity between key industrial belts. He made the remarks during a site inspection, where he reviewed construction progress and directed officials to ensure the project stays on schedule without compromising on quality.
He highlighted the corridor's direct link to the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority as one of its biggest benefits, noting it would allow goods from north India to reach the port faster, more efficiently and at lower cost, thereby strengthening the country's broader logistics network.
The Maharashtra portion of the Vadodara-Mumbai corridor spans about 157 km and is being built at an estimated cost of Rs 24,000 crore. The stretch has been split into seven construction packages, of which five have already been completed and are ready for vehicular movement, while the remaining two are slated for completion by August.
Fadnavis said the full Maharashtra section is expected to be opened to traffic by August 31.
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Once operational, the expressway will not only cut travel time between Vadodara and Mumbai to about four hours but also offer a safer, congestion-free route for commuters and a smoother channel for commercial transport, an official release said.
The chief minister further said the expressway would ease freight movement towards JNPA by diverting traffic away from the congested Thane, Bhiwandi and Ghodbunder routes, saving time and fuel while offering a more dependable cargo corridor.
He added that improved connectivity between the industrial hubs of north and west India and Mumbai's port infrastructure would give a push to exports, industrial activity, investment and employment, and would play a key role in driving India's broader infrastructure and economic growth.
(With PTI inputs)
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