Vadodara: Construction of the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway in Gujarat has reached its final stage on the Vadodara–Godhra stretch, with nearly the entire corridor now ready for operation. The only remaining obstacle is a short pending portion affected by high-tension electricity transmission lines.

According to the latest ground updates, Packages 29 to 31, extending from the Vadodara NE1 Interchange to the Godhra Interchange, are fully completed, except for a small stretch of approximately 200 metres in Package 31 where high-tension power lines are yet to be cleared.

Once this issue is resolved, the entire Vadodara–Godhra section can be officially opened to traffic. However, reports from infrastructure tracking blogs suggest that work on the pending portion has not progressed for several months, making it difficult to indicate a definite completion timeline.

Single Bottleneck in Package 31

The primary bottleneck lies in Package 31, the final segment of the Delhi–Vadodara section. The 19-19.5 km stretch, constructed by PNC Infratech Pvt. Ltd., runs from Pratapnagar to the Ahmedabad–Vadodara National Expressway-1 (NE1) Interchange and is nearly 100 per cent complete.

While most civil works including bitumen surfacing, lane markings, crash barriers, signage, plantation, and interchange ramps have been finished, the shifting of high-tension electricity lines at one location continues to delay commissioning.

On-site assessments by vloggers indicate that:

– The shifting of major high-tension transmission lines has begun at one location. New electricity towers have been erected, and wiring work has commenced for the main transmission line.

– At the same location, the shifting of smaller high-tension lines remains pending, with limited progress observed so far. According to the vloggers, the company executing the project has stated that work on shifting the smaller high-tension lines will begin after the completion of the work on the main transmission line.

– Another high-tension line near the NE1 Interchange has already been successfully relocated. One side of the carriageway is ready, while work is ongoing on the other side.

Interchanges and Facilities Ready

Interchanges connecting the expressway with National Expressway-1 and other arterial routes are fully constructed and ready for use. The Vadodara section’s first toll plaza, located around 2 km from the NE1 Interchange, has also been completed and is witnessing heavy vehicle movement, significantly reducing the traffic load on NH-48 between Vadodara and Navsari.

Rest and Service Areas (RSAs) along the stretch are also complete, offering essential amenities for motorists.

Connectivity Boost Expected

Packages 29 and 30 connecting Godhra, Kalol, and Pratapnagar are fully completed and currently in their final finishing stages.

Once Package 31 becomes operational, motorists will be able to travel non-stop from Godhra to Vadodara and further onward to Kharel in Navsari district via the expressway, as that road section has already been opened to traffic.

Officials, however, have not announced a firm opening date, as the timeline depends entirely on the completion of the remaining high-tension line shifting the final hurdle in commissioning one of Gujarat’s most critical infrastructure corridors. DeshGujarat