New Delhi: The 244-km Delhi-Mumbai Expressway in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh is set to be thrown open to the public soon. With the inauguration of the 8-lane stretch,  the travel time between 2 metro cities – Delhi and Mumbai will come down from 24 hours to just 12 hours. Moreover, the yet-to-be-inaugurated expressway will shorten the distance between Delhi and Mumbai by 130 km.

• Improved Connectivity: The DME is expected to improve connectivity between 5 states and major cities like Kota, Jaipur, Indore, Vadodara, Bhopal and Surat.
• Boost Economic Growth: The DME is expected to have a significant impact on India’s economic growth and development particularly in the region where it passes through. Built at an estimated cost of Rs 1 lakh crore, the expressway might impact the real estate industry, especially in Delhi-NCR regions.
• Boost Tourism, Trade and Commerce: Also termed as Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, the 1386-km long expressway is expected to boost tourism and hospitality. Moreover, it will reduce transportation costs, and enhance trade and commerce between Financial and the National Capital.

Considered as one of the longest expressways in India, the construction of the DME in Madhya Pradesh has taken longer than expected, but it is now nearing completion.

The construction of the expressway in Madhya Pradesh was divided into nine packages. The completion of work on the critical stretch has been delayed beyond the target date of April 30, 2023.

But now the government is keen to inaugurate this section of the expressway at the earliest, as it is a major infrastructure project that will have a significant impact on the state and the country as a whole.

 The landmark stretch is expected to be fully operational by the end of next year i.e., 2024.