Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has said the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway will be fully completed by 2028, promising that the project will allow commuters to travel by road from Delhi to Mumbai in about 12 hours. The minister said the high-speed corridor would connect the national capital with key destinations in Mumbai, including Nariman Point and Jawaharlal Nehru Port.

Speaking at a public gathering in Mandana on July 9, Gadkari acknowledged that the expressway still requires improvements and that work remains underway on several sections. However, he assured that the entire project would be completed within the next two years. Several stretches of the corridor have already been opened to traffic, while construction continues on the remaining portions of the ambitious infrastructure project.

The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway spans around 1,386 kilometres and is India’s longest access-controlled expressway. Designed to support high-speed road travel, the corridor aims to significantly reduce the journey time between Delhi and Mumbai while improving connectivity between major industrial and economic centres. Once fully operational, the project is also expected to reduce fuel consumption, transportation expenses and logistics costs along the route.

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The expressway will improve connectivity across six states and regions, including Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra. The project is expected to support economic activity by providing faster road access between major cities, industrial zones and commercial centres. Improved connectivity could also help businesses move goods more efficiently across the corridor and strengthen links between manufacturing hubs and important markets.

Apart from reducing passenger travel time, the expressway is expected to improve freight movement to Jawaharlal Nehru Port near Mumbai, one of the country’s busiest container ports. Faster access to the port could help reduce delays and transportation costs for businesses moving goods across northern, central and western India. The corridor is part of the government’s broader effort to develop high-speed highway networks and modernise the country’s road infrastructure.

Gadkari has repeatedly described infrastructure development as an important driver of India’s economic growth, with the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway among the flagship projects of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. The government expects the completed corridor to transform road travel between the country’s national and financial capitals, while supporting trade, logistics and regional development across the states connected by the route.

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