Delhi-Mumbai Expressway Completion Now Expected by 2026, Says Road Minister
New Delhi/Mumbai, 20th December 2024: The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway (DME), designed to cut travel time between the political and financial capitals to 12 hours, is now expected to be completed by 2026, according to Harsh Malhotra, the Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways. The project, which was originally scheduled for completion in January 2023, has seen several revisions to its timeline in recent years.
Malhotra explained that while work is progressing, there have been technical and practical challenges. He attributed some delays to the land acquisition process, which involves obtaining land from the public, often causing setbacks. He also noted that the involvement of multiple state governments in land acquisition, a state matter, has contributed to the delays.
The foundation stone for the DME was laid in March 2019, and the first section, connecting Sohna in Haryana to Dausa in Rajasthan, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2023. Recently, the Prime Minister also inaugurated another stretch of the expressway in Rajasthan, coinciding with the first anniversary of the BJP government in the state.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari acknowledged earlier this month that there were issues with the construction of the Delhi-Vadodara (DVE) section of the expressway. He confirmed that IIT Kharagpur experts are investigating damages on the Sohna-Dausa stretch, caused by heavy rains during the monsoon. He assured that repairs were being carried out at the contractor’s expense and that strict action would follow if the contractors were found responsible.
In July, Gadkari stated that the project was expected to be completed by October 2025, with 80% of the 1,368 km stretch already built. He had also mentioned that work was ongoing across 27 sections of the expressway.
