Road journey from Delhi to Mumbai in just 12 hours via Delhi-Mumbai Expressway

“Being developed at a cost of Rs 98,000 crore, the 1,380 km long Delhi Mumbai Expressway will be the longest expressway in India. It will enhance connectivity between Delhi and Mumbai. The expressway will connect the urban centers of Delhi via Delhi-Faridabad-Sohna section of the corridor as well as a spur to Mumbai via a spur to Jewar Airport and Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Mumbai,” according to an official release by the ministry,

In addition, the expressway passing through six states of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra will improve connectivity to economic centers like Jaipur, Kishangarh, Ajmer, Kota, Chittorgarh, Udaipur, Bhopal, Ujjain, Indore. Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat are bringing economic prosperity to lakhs of people.

Highlights of Delhi-Mumbai Expressway

• The new expressway is expected to reduce the commute time between Delhi and Mumbai from about 24 hours to 12 hours and reduce the distance by 130 km.
• This will result in annual fuel savings of over 320 million liters and a reduction of 850 million kg in CO2 emissions which is equivalent to planting 40 million trees.
• Hindustan Times
• The DME will have 3 animals and 5 overpasses with a combined length of 7 km dedicated to unencumbered wildlife movement.
• The expressway will also include two iconic 8 lane tunnels which are a testament to the engineering prowess of the country, one for 4 km through Mukundara Sanctuary without disturbing the endangered fauna in the area and another 4 km 8 lane-tunnel. Matheran Eco Sensitive Zone
• Permanent pavement design has been adopted for Delhi-Vadodara section which passes through dry areas and rigid pavement design has been adopted for Vadodara-Mumbai section having high rainfall to increase the longevity of the project.
• DME has also created employment for thousands of trained civil engineers and more than 50 lakh man-days of work.
• Another unique aspect of the Delhi Mumbai Expressway is the establishment of 94-way side facilities (WSAs) along the corridor to improve user convenience and safety.
• Amenities along the way will include petrol pumps, motels, rest areas, restaurants and shops. These wayside facilities will also have helipads to enhance connectivity and evacuate people in case of medical emergencies.

Delhi-Mumbai Expressway completion schedule

Two sections of the expressway, the Delhi – Dausa – Lalsot section that is part of the Delhi-Jaipur Expressway and the Vadodara- Ankleshwar section that connects Vadodara to the economic hub of Bharuch, are likely to open for traffic by March 2022. The entire expressway is planned to be completed by March 2023.