Delhi-Mumbai in 12 Hours by Road? New Expressway to Beat Rajdhani Time!

If you are planning a trip from Delhi to Mumbai, or any destination around it, you better get your car keys out. The Union Road Transport and Highways Ministry is ensuring that the travel time between the two major Indian cities will be cut by almost by half!

Yes, you read that right. The Ministry is currently working on a Super Expressway that will make every road trip between Delhi and Mumbai a dream come true, and you will be able to cover the distance—approximately 1410 km—in 12 hours!

Nitin Gadkari, the Minister for Road Transport and Highways, explained the way this Expressway will develop. Speaking to Indiatimes, he said, “In the first phase, Delhi will be connected to Jaipur and Vadodara to Mumbai via super expressways. We plan to construct expressways from Jaipur to Kota in Rajasthan and then from Kota to Vadodara.

This will reduce the travel time between Delhi and Mumbai to less than 12 hours as compared to nearly 24 hours at present.”

Currently, the fastest way to travel (by land) between the two cities is to board the Rajdhani express. This superfast train takes passengers from Mumbai to Delhi (and vice versa) in approximately 16 hours. However, the Super Expressway is all set to beat Indian Railways in this regard!

The Ministry is looking at this project from several angles. Along with reducing the travel time by almost half, the project will bring home the standards of developed nations like USA and Germany.

The calculation of the road construction, for example, will be different than what it used to be. “Across the world, the lane formula is used to calculate road construction, but we calculate the linear length in India,” Gadkari told the Economic Times. He added that,

“This means if we construct 10 km of 14 lanes and 10 km of two lanes, it is counted only as 10 km and the length of all lanes is not taken into account.

The new formula will be worked out by the National Highways Authority of India.”

The authorities are currently working on the Delhi-Jaipur Super Expressway, and it is expected to be completed in 15 months. The cement and concrete used for it is the same quality that was used for the construction of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway.

You may also like: India’s First Smart and Green Highway To Be Inaugurated Soon: All You Need to Know

Again, taking international standards into consideration, the Super Expressway will have 3.5-metre-wide lanes. “Internationally, the one standard lane width in the US is 3.7 metres and varies between 2.75 to 3.25 metres in Europe. As per Indian standards, the width of one lane is prescribed as 3.5 metres,” Gadkari explained.

This project is definitely something to look forward to, and cutting down travel time by half on the road, will not only reduce our travel woes but will also be a very convenient way to link together two cities that are of strategic, financial and political importance to the country.

(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)

Like this story? Or have something to share?
Write to us: [email protected]
Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.
NEW: Click here to get positive news on WhatsApp!

Found Value in This Story?Pay What You Can to Support Impactful Journalism

If you found our stories insightful, informative, or even just enjoyable, we invite you to consider making a voluntary payment to support the work we do at The Better India. Your contribution helps us continue producing quality content that educates, inspires, and drives positive change.

Choose one of the payment options below for your contribution-

₹201
₹501
₹1001

By paying for the stories you value, you directly contribute to sustaining our efforts focused on making a difference in the world. Together, let’s ensure that impactful stories continue to be told and shared, enriching lives and communities alike.

Thank you for your support. Here are some frequently asked questions you might find helpful to know why you are contributing?