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Construction delays on a short 87 km stretch in Gujarat have slowed the completion of the INR 1.04 lakh crore Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, despite most other sections nearing readiness. The stretch, divided into three packages and awarded in 2021, has seen less than 20% progress in nearly four years. Two contracts were earlier scrapped and later re-awarded to the same contractor. Differences between the contractor and NHAI over land availability and performance issues have kept the project behind schedule, affecting the overall timeline.
The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, a 1,386 km project connecting the national capital with Mumbai, continues to face delays due to slow progress on an 87 km section in Gujarat. While the expressway passes through six states and most segments are advancing as planned, this short stretch has emerged as a key hurdle for timely completion. Advertisement
The delayed portion falls on the Vadodara Virar corridor and is divided into three construction packages. These packages were awarded in 2021 to a Pune-based infrastructure firm, Roadway Solutions India Infra Ltd. Nearly four years later, work completed on this stretch remains below 20%, raising concerns within the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
Two of the three packages were scrapped earlier due to poor progress. However, they were re-tendered and awarded again to the same contractor after it emerged as the lowest bidder months later. Despite the re-award, construction has continued to lag, even as other sections of the expressway in Gujarat and neighbouring states move closer to completion.
The contractor has stated that delays were caused by late handover of land parcels by NHAI. Officials from NHAI, however, have attributed the slowdown to weak execution, contractual disputes, and ongoing litigation. They have pointed out that most land-related issues on the stretch had already been resolved.
The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway is split into 53 packages and is designed to reduce travel distance between Delhi and the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority near Mumbai by around 180 km. Several stretches, including sections in Rajasthan and parts connecting Delhi to Lalsot, are already operational. Around INR 71,718 crore has been spent on the project so far.
NHAI is now considering issuing formal notices to the contractor, including cure period notices, which allow time to address delays before stronger action such as contract termination or blacklisting is taken.
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