Vadodara: The ongoing 1,386-km-long, eight-lane Delhi–Mumbai Expressway project achieved another major milestone this week, with the Godhra–Vadodara stretch officially opened to traffic on a trial basis from April 13, 2026.

While large portions of the corridor are now operational or nearing completion, key bottlenecks in southern Gujarat continue to delay the full commissioning of the expressway.

Delhi–Vadodara Section: Final Hurdles in Dahod

The northern Gujarat stretch of the Delhi–Vadodara section of the expressway comprises six packages (Packages 26 to 31). Most of these are either complete or in the final stages of execution:

Package 26 (30 km): Located at the Gujarat–Madhya Pradesh border in Dahod, this remains the last major construction link, currently at approximately 78% physical progress as per Infra News India.

Packages 27 & 28 (55 km): Spanning from Bhimpura to the Godhra interchange, these packages are reported to be 100% complete but are yet to become operational.

Packages 29, 30 & 31 (64 km): This stretch, from the Godhra interchange to Vadodara, is the latest to become operational. The section between Bhamaiya village and Dodka village entered its trial phase on April 13, 2026.

Completion of these segments is expected to enable uninterrupted travel between Ahmedabad and central India by mid-2026.

Vadodara–Virar Section: Operational up to Navsari, Delays in South

The Vadodara–Virar section includes 10 packages within Gujarat. While the northern portion is functional, progress slows significantly in the southern stretches.

Operational stretch: Packages 1 to 7 are already operational, ensuring seamless connectivity from the NE1 Ahmedabad–Vadodara Expressway interchange to the Kharel interchange (Gandeva) in Navsari district.

Southern Gujarat bottlenecks: Progress drops sharply beyond Navsari. Package 8 (Gandeva to Jujuwa) is only 5% complete, prompting the NHAI to terminate the original contract and issue a fresh tender. Package 9 (Jujuwa to Karvad) stands at around 10% completion, while Package 10 (Karvad to the Maharashtra border) has reached approximately 42–43%.

At present, commuters can experience uninterrupted connectivity from Godhra to Navsari via Ahmedabad, Vadodara, and Surat. The expressway now links three of Gujarat’s largest cities along with key industrial hubs such as Bharuch.

Outlook and Timelines

Although the Union government had initially targeted October 2025 for full completion, the deadline has been missed. Current projections indicate that the Dahod–Vadodara section may open by mid-2026. However, due to slow progress in Packages 8, 9, and 10, the full 426-km Gujarat stretch is unlikely to be fully operational anytime soon.

The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, recently informed Parliament that the Delhi–Vadodara section is expected to be completed by mid-2026. However, he noted that the Vadodara–Mumbai stretch will face delays due to pending work in three packages between Gandeva and Vapi, with completion now projected by April 2028. DeshGujarat