India’s road infrastructure is going to witness rapid transformation with several expressways on cards. These expressways will meet urban demands, enhance connectivity, slash travel time, ease travel and boost regional development.
Union minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, earlier asserted that India’s road infrastructure will be better than that of America in the coming time. He stressed that efficient highways, waterways and railways can lower logistics costs and boost the economy.
“In the coming time, Indian road infrastructure will be even better than that of America. We will do it,” said Gadkari.
This year will see significant development in terms of infrastructure. Numerous projects are lined up and several will mark completion. The government is prioritising on expanding road networks, upgrading railways, and modernizing airports.
As per reports, three expressways are nearing completion this year. These expressways will prove to be a game-changing projects, enhancing connectivity and faster travel experiences for commuters across the country.
Here’s look at those projects:
Delhi-Mumbai Expressway
With length of 1,386 km, Delhi Mumbai Expressway will be India’s longest expressway. It will reduce travel distance between Delhi and Mumbai by 12% from 1,424 km to 1,242 Km and travel time will be reduced by 50% from 24 hrs to 12 hrs.
The expressway will pass through six states of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra. It will connect major cities like Kota, Indore, Jaipur, Bhopal, Vadodara and Surat.
The Expressway will also serve 93 PM Gati Shakti Economic Nodes, 13 Ports, 8 Major Airports and 8 multi-modal logistics parks (MMLPs). It will also cater to upcoming greenfield airports such as Jewar Airport, Navi Mumbai Airport and JNPT port.
The Ministry on July 2024 stated that the physical progress of the work is 82%. So far, cumulative length of 1136 km has been constructed. The revised scheduled completion date is October, 2025.
Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway
The Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway is also under construction, and part of it is already open and toll-free. Once completed in August 2025, the full 260-kilometer expressway will reduce the travel time between Bengaluru and Chennai from the current 6 hours to just 3 hours. The total cost of building this expressway is Rs 17,900 crore. It will pass through Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Delhi-Dehradun Expressway
Divided into four sections, this expressway is being constructed starting from Delhi-Mumbai Expressway(DME) near Akshardham in Delhi, Shastri Park, Khajuri Khas, EPE interchange at Khekra in Mandola, Baghpat, Shamli, Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh to Dehradun, Uttrakhand. The 210 km new expressway connecting Delhi and Dehradun via Saharanpur will reduce travel time between the two cities. It will cut the journey from six and a half hours to just about two and a half hours.
The expressway will be beneficial for the commuters in many ways. It will save travel time of commuters. The journey on the route can be completed in just 2.5 hours to 3 hours. The work on the first phase of the Delhi-Dehradun expressway has been completed.
