Vadodara: The work on the 1,386 km long, eight-lane Delhi-Mumbai Expressway is progressing, and Package 6, i.e., the Kim to Ena section of the Vadodara to Virar stretch, is almost ready. However, this does not bring good news for the public, as it does not mean that the Vadodara-Surat route will be open for commuting anytime soon. Packages 4 (Manubar to Ankleshwar) and 5 (Ankleshwar to Kim Interchange) remain incomplete.

The expressway runs through Gujarat in two major sections: Delhi to Vadodara and Vadodara to Virar. In the Vadodara-Virar section, three packages (Packages 1, 2, and 3) connecting Vadodara to Bharuch are operational. As of November 2024, Package 4 from Manubar to Ankleshwar is 94% complete, but Package 5 from Ankleshwar to the Kim Interchange is only 48% complete. Following these is Package 6, covering Km 217.500 to Km 254.430 (Ena to Kim Section). This 37-kilometer stretch, built by GR Ena Kim Expressway Private Limited, has received the Provisional Completion Certificate, indicating it is ready for public use.

Meanwhile, with Package 5 far from completion, the chances of Vadodara getting connected with Kim in Surat through this expressway anytime soon remain slim. A significant portion of the incomplete work in these two packages involves the bridge over the Narmada River. Most of the remaining work is concentrated in Package 5, which is being constructed by M/s Sadbhav Engineering Pvt. Ltd. DeshGujarat