Surat: Construction of the 1,386-km-long, eight-lane Delhi–Mumbai Expressway continues to progress across Gujarat, with several packages already operational and most nearing completion. However, three key segments in southern Gujarat remain slow-moving, emerging as the primary hurdle to full corridor connectivity.

The expressway, one of India’s largest greenfield infrastructure projects, has been divided into multiple packages for phased execution. This update focuses on the 426-km Gujarat section, which is split into two main corridors, Delhi–Vadodara and Vadodara–Virar, based on the latest package-wise data from Infra News India.

Delhi–Vadodara section approaches final stage

The Delhi–Vadodara stretch includes 31 construction packages, of which Packages 26 to 31 fall within Gujarat. Latest progress figures show that most of these packages are either complete or in their final stages.

• Package 26 (30 km), executed by Atlas Construction–NKC, has reached 77% physical progress, up from 76%. This package connects the Gujarat–Madhya Pradesh border area in Dahod district and remains the last major under-construction link in this section.

• Package 27 (29 km), from Bhimpura to Sant Road, built by GHV India, is now 100% complete (earlier 99%).

• Package 28 (26 km), from Sant Road to Godhra Interchange, also awarded to GHV India, has achieved 100% completion.

• Package 29 (23 km), Godhra Interchange to Kalol Interchange, constructed by PNC Infratech, stands fully complete.

• Package 30 (22 km), Kalol Interchange to Pratapnagar, executed by Patel Infrastructure, has reached 100% progress, improving from 99%.

• Package 31 (19 km), handled by PNC Infratech, is nearly complete, with a single bottleneck remaining due to the shifting of low high-tension power lines. The company said work will begin once recently shifted major high-tension lines become operational.

With the Madhya Pradesh section already operational, completion of Package 26 and resolution of the Package 31 bottleneck will enable uninterrupted expressway travel between Ahmedabad and central India. This section is therefore highly likely to become operational by mid-2026.

Vadodara–Virar section operational up to Navsari

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

Strong progress has been achieved in the northern portion, which is already operational for vehicles from the NE1 Ahmedabad–Vadodara Expressway interchange up to the Kharel Interchange near Gandeva in Navsari district.

These packages ensure seamless expressway connectivity from Vadodara through Surat district, forming the most stable operational stretch within Gujarat.

Southern Gujarat packages remain behind schedule

Construction momentum drops sharply in the southern part of the state. Package 8, a 35-km stretch from Gandeva to Jujuwa being executed by Roadway Solutions India Infra, is only 5% complete. Package 9, covering 27 km from Jujuwa to Karvad under the same firm, has reached 10% completion. Package 10, a 25-km stretch from Karvad to the Talasari Interchange near the Maharashtra border, is 42% complete, showing only marginal progress from 41%.

These three packages, covering the stretch from Navsari towards the Maharashtra border, continue to witness limited on-ground activity and remain the main cause of delay in full corridor operationalisation.

Notably, the NHAI has terminated the contract for Package 8 and issued a fresh tender for the remaining work, which is expected to be completed within 1.5 years from the March tender opening. Similar action may also follow for Packages 9 and 10 to accelerate progress.

Outlook

While large portions of the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway in Gujarat are either complete or operational, the overall commissioning timeline remains dependent on progress in Package 26 near the Madhya Pradesh border and the delayed southern 87-km stretch across Packages 8, 9 and 10.

Although the Union government had earlier informed Parliament that the entire expressway would be completed by October 2025, this deadline has already been missed. Ground reports suggest the Dahod–Vadodara section may open by mid-2026, but due to slow progress in southern Gujarat, full operationalisation of the Gujarat corridor is unlikely this year. DeshGujarat