Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, on Thursday inspected the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway under construction and assured of its completion “as soon as possible”.
In Gujarat’s Surat, the minister reviewed the works being carried out by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on highways passing from the region, especially the under-construction section of National Highway-48 in Himmatnagar town, as well as the work being carried out at Motipura flyover and an underpass of the highway.
Once completed, the ambitious 1,350-kilometre-long expressway will cut down travel time between New Delhi and Mumbai to just 12 hours from around 24 hours now.
Talking to reporters, Gadkari said, “We are trying to complete the project as soon as possible by removing all obstacles. The road has been built well. We are rectifying all minor deficiencies by employing the best technology.”
The minister noted that the quality of the eight-lane expressway is being thoroughly checked to make its use convenient and comfortable for motorists, saying trees will be planted on both sides of the highway to provide green cover to the road.
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He also asked officials and contractors to “ensure high quality in road construction, or face action”, saying negligence in the construction and resurfacing of National Highways will not be tolerated.
The minister said that the expressway, whose foundation stone was laid in 2019, will be connected with Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan for commuters to directly access Mumbai and Delhi.
“This is a significant road in the country's history, and there are very few highways of this length and width in the world. Thanks to the contributions of our engineers, contractors, and especially the state government, we have almost reached the completion stage,” he said.
A vociferous advocate of electric vehicles, Gadkari said it’s his dream “to see electric trucks and buses plying on this road”.
“We will incorporate the world’s best technology into the project to reduce logistics costs. I believe this road, once completed, will boost exports as well as tourism, and people’s travel will become more convenient,” he added.
The minister also travelled to Navsari and Valsad district in south Gujarat to inspect the progress of the highway that connects major economic centres within multiple states, including Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
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