On November 12, the much-awaited Delhi section of the
Delhi-Mumbai Expressway will open to the public, representing a significant
turning point in one of India’s largest infrastructure initiatives. The six-lane highway and two recently
built bridges spanning the Agra and Gurgaon canals are prepared for
commissioning, according to South Delhi MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri. It is
anticipated that this new segment will reduce the ongoing traffic jams on
Mathura Road, giving commuters a quicker way to get to Faridabad, Palwal, and
Sohna.
Along the Yamuna riverfront, the elevated corridor
passes through densely populated districts such as Batla House, Okhla Vihar,
and Yamuna Khadar. The highway and the Ashram area are connected by a
specifically built descending ramp close to Maharani Bagh, which crosses over
to the DND flyover. According to Bidhuri, Rs 5,500 crore has been invested in
this infrastructure development to ensure efficiency and durability. The
seamless link is intended to significantly alleviate traffic in these
often-clogged areas of the city. The drive from Maharani Bagh to Sohna is
anticipated to be cut from 2.5 hours to just 25 minutes with the opening of
this highway segment, changing the way people travel in the area.
The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, which will span 1,386
kilometers through five states—Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and
Maharashtra—would be the longest expressway in India when it is finished. A
significant component of the Bharatmala Pariyojana project, this eight-lane,
greenfield motorway is intended to reduce travel time between Delhi and Mumbai
by 50%, making the trip take only 12 hours. The highway is a crucial route for both passenger and freight traffic
since it provides better access to important economic centers such as Jaipur,
Ajmer, Kota, Udaipur, Ahmedabad, and Vadodara in addition to Delhi and Mumbai.
By connecting 93 PM Gati Shakti economic hubs, 13
ports, eight major airports, and eight multi-modal logistics parks, the
expressway also seeks to strengthen India’s transportation and logistics
network. Notably, it offers easy access to important ports like the Jawaharlal
Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) and to upcoming greenfield airports like Navi Mumbai
Airport and Jewar Airport in Greater Noida.