Vadodara: Construction on the 1,386 km-long, eight-lane Delhi–Mumbai Expressway continues to advance steadily, with significant progress reported across most of the Gujarat section. The expressway, one of India’s most ambitious infrastructure projects, has been divided into multiple sections and packages for smoother execution. This update focuses on the 426 km stretch that passes through Gujarat.

In Gujarat, the expressway is divided into two key segments — Delhi to Vadodara and Vadodara to Virar. The Delhi–Vadodara section comprises 31 packages in total, with Packages 26 to 31 located within Gujarat, each showing impressive completion levels.

Delhi–Vadodara Section Nears Full Completion

Package 26 begins at the Gujarat–Madhya Pradesh border near Chhayan village in Dahod district and extends to Bhimpura village, with 74% of the work completed. Package 27, stretching from Bhimpura to Sant Road near the Panam River, has achieved 97% completion. Package 28, covering the Sant Road to Godhra Interchange section, is 98% complete.

Meanwhile, Package 29, connecting the Godhra Interchange to the Kalol Interchange, is fully complete. Package 30, extending from Kalol Interchange to Pratapnagar in Vadodara district, has reached 98% completion, while Package 31, from Pratapnagar to the Ahmedabad–Vadodara Expressway (NE1) near Dodka village, is 99% complete.

Notably, the entire section of the expressway passing through Madhya Pradesh is already operational. Therefore, once construction on Package 26 in Gujarat is completed, commuters will be able to travel seamlessly between Ahmedabad and Madhya Pradesh via the expressway.

Vadodara–Virar Section Shows Mixed Progress

The Vadodara–Virar section comprises 13 packages, of which Packages 1 to 10 fall within Gujarat, extending from Vadodara up to the Maharashtra border.

In this segment, Packages 1, 2, and 3, covering the Vadodara–Bharuch stretch, are fully operational, ensuring smooth travel up to Manubar in Bharuch district. Package 4, from Manubar to Ankleshwar, has also reached 100% completion but is yet to be officially inaugurated.

Among the subsequent packages, Package 5 (Ankleshwar to Kim Interchange) is 86% complete. With Sadbhav Engineering subcontracting the remaining work to Gawar Constructions, the primary bottleneck — shifting of high-tension transmission towers — has finally begun. If the current pace continues, this package is expected to be ready within the next three months. Additionally, since Packages 6 (Kim Interchange to Ena Interchange near Surat) and 7 (Ena Interchange to Kharel Interchange near Gandeva) are both 100% complete, commuters may be able to travel from Ahmedabad to Navsari on the expressway by early 2026.

Delays Persist in Southern Stretches

Progress has been noticeably slower further south. Package 8 (Gandeva to Jujuwa) stands at just 5% completion, Package 9 (Jujuwa to Karvad) at 10%, and Package 10 (Karvad to Talasari Interchange near the Maharashtra border) at 40%. No significant on-ground activity has been recorded in these stretches over the past few months, with work appearing to have stalled since the last three progress reviews.

While the Union government had earlier informed Parliament that the entire Delhi–Mumbai Expressway would be completed by October 2025, this deadline has already been missed as November approaches. Ground visuals from several infrastructure vloggers suggest that the Vadodara–Navsari section may open in early 2026, followed by partial operationalization of the Ahmedabad–Godhra section later that year.

Table 1: % of Work Progress on Delhi–Mumbai Expressway Packages in Gujarat