Union Minister Nitin Gadkari informed the Lok Sabha on Feb. 12 that the timeline for the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway has been revised, with the full corridor expected to be operational by June 2026.
The Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways said that the Delhi-Vadodara section is slated for completion by May 2026, while the Vadodara-Mumbai stretch will follow in June. But certain works in Gujarat remain delayed. “The revised scheduled date for completion for the section from Delhi to Vadodara is May 2026 and for the section from Vadodara to Mumbai is June 2026, except works in three packages in Gujarat, which are targeted for completion in the financial year 2027-28,” Gadkari said in Lok Sabha in response to questions from Mumbai North Central MP Varsha Eknath Gaikwad.
The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway measures 1,386 km in length, according to PIB. Gadkari said around 875 km is currently open to traffic. Earlier, as of July 2025, 774 km had been operational between Delhi and Mumbai.
The minister cited multiple reasons for the slowdown, including land acquisition challenges, delays in tree-felling permissions, utility shifting issues and concessionaire defaults. Gadkari assured that the overall cost of the expressway remains within the sanctioned budget.
Delays have been reported on several packages. Last year, a report highlighted that progress on five packages, covering 140 km between Surat and the Gujarat-Maharashtra border, had slowed, affecting the overall schedule. While two of these packages later gained momentum, three sections spanning 90 km near Surat continued to face delays.
Gadkari also shared updates on the NH-66 Mumbai-Goa highway, which stretches 485 km. He said civil construction for widening the road to four lanes began in December 2011 under 12 project packages. Four-lane construction has been finished along 465 km, while work on the remaining 20 km is currently underway and is expected to be completed in phases by June 2026. The project reportedly faced delays due to land-related obstacles, slow approval processes, and slower progress by some contractors.
When asked by Gaikwad about measures to ensure accountability, maintain quality and speed up completion of all NHAI projects connecting Mumbai with other major cities, Gadkari responded that regular review meetings with all stakeholders are being held to accelerate progress and ensure timely delivery.
Recently, Harsh Malhotra, Minister of State for the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, said the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway will reduce travel time between the two cities from about 33 hours to nearly 12 hours once it becomes fully operational.
The corridor will provide connectivity to major economic centres across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
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