Driving from Gurugram to Vadodara in about 10 hours may soon become a reality as the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway nears full operationalisation. The 1,386-km, eight-lane corridor, being built at a cost of Rs 95,000 crore, is expected to cut travel time between the two cities by more than half, from the current 20-22 hours to around 10-12 hours.
A key milestone in the project is the completion of a 4.9-km tunnel near Kota in Rajasthan, regarded as India’s first eight-lane road tunnel. The tunnel passes beneath the ecologically sensitive Mukundara Hills Tiger Reserve, allowing traffic to move through the corridor without disturbing wildlife while bypassing a longer, winding route. The Kota section had been one of the last major gaps preventing seamless travel along the expressway.
Route
Starting near Sohna in Gurugram, the expressway traverses six states before terminating near Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) in Mumbai.
Haryana: 129 km
Rajasthan: 373 km (Alwar, Dausa and Kota)
Madhya Pradesh: 244 km (Mandsaur and Ratlam)
Gujarat: 426 km (Vadodara, Bharuch and Surat)
Maharashtra: Final stretch leading to Mumbai
The corridor also includes a section in Delhi, taking the total route length to 1,386 km.
The access-controlled expressway has been designed for speeds of up to 120 kmph, subject to notified limits and traffic conditions. With no traffic signals or grade crossings, it is expected to offer significantly faster and smoother travel. The road features a 21-metre-wide median, allowing future expansion from eight to 12 lanes if required.
Timeline and current status
The Gurugram-Dausa stretch has already been opened to traffic. Most sections between Dausa and Vadodara are either operational or nearing completion. The Godhra-Vadodara section in Gujarat was opened for trial runs in April 2026.
The remaining Vadodara-Mumbai section is in the final stages of construction and is expected to open in phases. Once fully operational, the Delhi-Mumbai journey is expected to take about 12 hours by road, compared with over 24 hours on conventional routes.
Beyond reducing travel time, the expressway is expected to lower logistics costs, improve connectivity across Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra, and boost economic activity in cities such as Kota, Ratlam and Bharuch through faster movement of freight and passengers.
Once completed, the corridor is expected to significantly strengthen road connectivity between north and west India, benefiting commuters, transporters and businesses alike.
