NEW DELHI: Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), has claimed that the government will complete construction of three out of 22 expressways in the next three years, including the ambitious Delhi-Mumbai Expressway. The 22 projects will be completed by the Financial Year 2025 at a cost of Rs 3.10 lakh crore.
Gadkari further explained that the work on the Delhi-Mumbai Express Highway will be completed in 51 packages and work has begun on 18 packages already. This project will also be India’s longest expressway covering 1320 km length and will contribute in reducing the travel time between Delhi and Mumbai from 23 hours to just 13 hours.
Out of the 22 projects, six are 2250 km expressways to be built at a cost of 1.45 lakh crore while the remaining six are 5250 km long greenfield corridors to be built at a price of Rs 1.65 lakh crore.
Besides the Delhi-Mumbai Express Highway, the trans-Rajasthan and trans-Haryana projects will be completed within the next three years.
Gadkari said that for the Delhi-Mumbai Express Highway, greenfield alignment has been selected in order to optimise construction and land acquisition costs and avoid habitation. He added that this project will unlock new economic opportunities in hinterland districts of Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.
The 22 projects are expected to provide alternative routes to diversify traffic, improve geometry and provide better connectivity for major towns, thereby reducing distance and travel time.