Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway would be fully operational within two years, as he announced a slate of new highway projects for the Kota region in Rajasthan.

Speaking at a public gathering in Mandana, Kota, after inspecting the expressway and the Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve Tunnel, Gadkari said 75-80% of the Rs 1.10 lakh crore project had been completed. He said the remaining stretches needed further work but gave an assurance that the corridor would be finished within the stipulated timeline.

“The expressway still needs improvement. I give you my word that within two years the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway will be fully completed, enabling people to travel by car from Delhi to Nariman Point and the Jawaharlal Nehru Port within about 12 hours,” Gadkari said.

Recalling the genesis of the expressway, Gadkari said the idea took shape during an earlier visit to Kota, when he noticed that a direct road link between Delhi and Kota was feasible, in place of the longer, circuitous route that existed at the time.

The minister also cleared a 10-km, four-lane Mukundara Bypass on the Kota-Jhalawar section of National Highway-52, at an estimated cost of Rs 551 crore. Construction on this stretch is expected to start within the next three months, he said.

Also approved was a 21-km four-lane greenfield spur linking Kota to the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway via Alantpura, at a cost of around Rs 1,000 crore. Work on this link, too, is likely to begin within three months, Gadkari said.

In addition, Gadkari said the Centre was planning a Rs 15,000-crore Atal Express Highway connecting Kota to Etawah along the Chambal River. The project was earlier called the Chambal Express Highway but has since been renamed after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, since the route passes through Gwalior. Its Detailed Project Report is currently under preparation, and construction will follow once the planning process is complete.

The minister said a DPR for connecting Bhawani Mandi with the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway had also been initiated, following requests from local public representatives.

Gadkari described highway infrastructure as a catalyst for economic transformation, saying better roads would draw industries, logistics parks, educational institutions, medical colleges and agro-based industries to underdeveloped tribal districts along the expressway’s route.