A £10 billion motorway project is set to bring two of the world’s busiest cities closer together within the next few months.
The Indian Government unveiled plans for the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway in 2018, with the final stretch of the new motorway expected to open over the coming months.
The eight-lane expressway is set to become the longest in India – and will be able to extend to 12 lanes to adapt to heavy traffic.
The motorway will extend across six states starting in Delhi through Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra to reach Mumbai 893 miles away.
The expressway will also include spurs to Jawaharlal Nehru Port on the eastern shores of the Arabian Sea in Maharashtra and another to Jewar Airport in Uttar Pradesh.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first branch of the new road from Sohna to Dausa in February 2023.
The entire expressway between India’s national capital in New Delhi and its economic centre in Mumbai is expected to be completed in June 2024.
Once opened, the new motorway will cut travel time between the two cities from 24 hours to 12.
The road will extend across 1,350km for an estimated cost of £10 billion.
The project has attracted the praise of Indian businessmen hailing it as a pivotal development to improve access across the country.
Industrialist Anand Mahindra, chairman of the Mumbai-based business conglomerate Mahindra Group, said: “This is going to be the most critical artery of India’s economic highway.
“Cutting down transit times on such vital connectivity links will boost our GDP growth rates in immeasurable ways. Can’t wait to glide down it…”
As an Indian, I believe this new £10 billion motorway linking Delhi and Mumbai is a game-changer for our country. It will significantly boost connectivity and commerce between the two major cities, benefiting both locals and businesses alike.