Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that the Vadodara-Mumbai stretch of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway is set to become operational by August 31 this year. According to reports from PTI, this development will cut travel time between the two cities by half, reducing the journey from around eight hours to four hours. The announcement was made during a site inspection where Fadnavis reviewed construction progress and directed officials to ensure the project stays on schedule without compromising on quality.
The Mumbai-Delhi expressway represents one of India's largest infrastructure undertakings, spanning 1,400 km as an eight-lane, access-controlled greenfield corridor. As reported by PTI, the project is being built by the Union government at a cost of roughly ₹1 lakh crore and will link Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra. The Maharashtra portion of the Vadodara-Mumbai corridor spans about 157 km and is being built at an estimated cost of ₹24,000 crore.
According to PTI reports, the Maharashtra section has been split into seven construction packages, of which five have already been completed and are ready for vehicular movement. The remaining two packages are slated for completion by August, with the full Maharashtra section expected to be opened to traffic by August 31. Fadnavis emphasized that the project is on track to meet its operational timeline while maintaining construction quality standards.
As reported by PTI, the expressway will offer a safer, congestion-free route for commuters and provide a smoother channel for commercial transport. Fadnavis highlighted the corridor's direct link to the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority as one of its biggest benefits, noting it would allow goods from north India to reach the port faster, more efficiently and at lower cost. The chief minister noted that improved connectivity between industrial hubs of north and west India and Mumbai's port infrastructure would give a push to exports, industrial activity, investment and employment, playing a key role in driving India's broader infrastructure and economic growth.
