Delhi to Mumbai in just 12 hours? Nitin Gadkari shares big update on expressway

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday said the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway will be fully completed within two years, a move that could cut car travel time from Delhi to Mumbai's Nariman Point and Jawaharlal Nehru Port to about 12 hours.

Speaking at a public gathering in Mandana after inspecting the expressway and the Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve Tunnel, Gadkari said 75-80 per cent of the ₹1.10 lakh crore project had been completed.

"The expressway still needs improvement. I give you my word that within two years the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway will be fully completed, enabling people to travel by car from Delhi to Nariman Point and the Jawaharlal Nehru Port within about 12 hours," he said.

DO CHECKOUT | Will Delhi-Patna bullet train stop at Noida airport? Route, Bihar stations and FAQs explained

For travellers in Kota and nearby areas, Gadkari announced approval for a 10-km four-lane Mukundara Bypass on the Kota-Jhalawar section of NH-52 at an estimated cost of ₹551 crore, with work to begin within the next three months.

He added that a 21-km four-lane greenfield spur through Alantpura to connect Kota with the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway had been approved at a cost of ₹1,000 crore, and construction was also expected to start within three months.

He said the Centre was planning a ₹15,000-crore Atal Express Highway from Kota to Etawah along the Chambal River. The detailed project report is being prepared, and construction will begin after the planning process is completed. Gadkari also said the DPR to connect Bhawani Mandi with the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway had been initiated.

Quoting former US President John F Kennedy, Gadkari said, "American roads are not good because America is rich; America is rich because American roads are good." 

The Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve Tunnel, described as India's first eight-lane tunnel under a tiger reserve, is scheduled to open in August. Gadkari also said the government had used nearly 80 lakh tonnes of municipal waste in road construction and was promoting bio-bitumen made from crop residue.