National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is gearing up to start its most ambitious project. The groundwork for the Modi-government’s next flagship infrastructure project, Delhi-Mumbai super expressway, is almost done and the work will start in March 2019.
“Delhi-Mumbai expressway is the next flagship project for the government,” a senior official of NHAI told Money Control. “We should be able to start the project in this financial year.”
This new super expressway is expected to revolutionize the commute from Delhi to Mumbai in a big way. Beating the Rajdhani Express, the new expressway is expected to reduce the travel time to 12 hours. At present, it takes around 24 hours to travel from the national capital to the financial capital via National Highway (NH) 8. The news expressways will have a speed limit of around 150 km per hour to achieve the claimed time limit.
The one lakh crore worth of Delhi-Mumbai expressway will follow a different route than NH8. It will pass through states like Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra, reducing the distance from 1,450 km to 1,250 km.
The land acquisition is reportedly almost done in most of the locations. Tenders will be awarded in March 2019 after which the work will begin simultaneously in 40 different locations. NHAI is reportedly expecting fastest on-ground result with this project. News also has it that the new expressway will be the second advanced cement and concrete highway in India after the Mumbai-Pune expressway.
The new expressway is expected to change the real estate scenario from the cities and towns from it will pass. It will touch underdeveloped cities like Sawai Madhopur, Mewat, Ratlam, and Dahod, as per the plan. It will also result in the reduction of the logistics cost and will develop the socially backward areas in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.