Exploring India's finest expressways: A journey through engineering marvels

Times of IndiaTIMESOFINDIA.COM/ Created : Jul 4, 2024, 20:45 IST

Exploring India's finest expressways: A journey through engineering marvels

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Expressways like Delhi-Mumbai, Bengaluru-Chennai, Varanasi-Kolkata, Hyderabad-Visakhapatnam, Faridabad-Jewar, Delhi-Dehradun, Indore-Hyderabad, and Ahmedabad-Dholera enhance economic growth. These high-speed roads connect major ci … Read more

Exploring India's finest expressways: A journey through engineering marvels

We love road trips and everything about it. But here’s what we love the most – to reach our destination quicker. Expressways in India are high-speed roadways designed to facilitate efficient and rapid travel across various regions. These roads are pivotal in reducing travel time between major cities and economic hubs, contributing significantly to the country's economic growth and development.

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Here are some of the most important (and awaited) expressways in India that are going to make our travel so much easier.

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Ahmedabad-Dholera Expressway: The Ahmedabad–Dholera Expressway, currently under construction in Gujarat, India, spans 109 km (68 mi) and is initially four lanes wide, with provisions to expand to eight lanes. It will link Sardar Patel Ring Road near Sarkhej in Ahmedabad to Adhelai village in Bhavnagar district, passing through the Dholera Special Investment Region (DSIR). The route includes the proposed Dholera International Airport near Navagam, approximately 20 km (12 mi) from Dholera SIR. This greenfield expressway is part of the Delhi–Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC).

Delhi-Dehradun Expressway: The Delhi–Dehradun Expressway, also known as National Highway 72A (NH 72A), is a 210 km long, 12/6 lane access-controlled expressway currently under construction. It will connect Delhi with Dehradun, passing through Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and the cities of Baghpat, Baraut, Shamli, and Saharanpur. The project includes two link roads: a 50.7 km six-lane Saharanpur–Roorkee–Haridwar Expressway and a 121 km six-lane Ambala-Shamli Expressway. The expressway will reduce travel time from 5-6 hours to 2.5 hours and shorten the distance from 280 km to 210 km.

Varanasi-Ranchi-Kolkata Expressway: The Varanasi–Kolkata Expressway, also known as the Varanasi–Ranchi–Kolkata Expressway and NH-319B, is an approved 610 km long, six-lane, greenfield access-controlled expressway. It will connect Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh with Kolkata in West Bengal, passing through Ranchi in Jharkhand. Running almost parallel to the Grand Trunk Road (Asian Highway 1), it will traverse Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal.

Delhi-Mumbai Expressway: The Delhi–Mumbai Expressway is a partially operational, 1,350 km long, 8-lane (expandable to 12-lane) access-controlled expressway connecting New Delhi to Mumbai. It links the Sohna Elevated Corridor in Delhi to Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Maharashtra, passing through Dausa, Kota, Ratlam, Vadodara, and Surat. The expressway traverses Delhi (12 km), Haryana (129 km), Rajasthan (373 km), Madhya Pradesh (244 km), Gujarat (426 km), and Maharashtra (171 km).

Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway: The Bengaluru–Chennai Expressway, designated as National Expressway 7 (NE-7), is a 258 km long, 4-lane access-controlled expressway currently under construction. It will connect Hoskote in the Bengaluru Metropolitan Region to Sriperumbudur in the Chennai Metropolitan Area, allowing vehicles to travel at speeds up to 120 km/h (75 mph). The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.

Hyderabad-Visakhapatnam Expressway: The four-lane greenfield road between Khammam and Devarapalli, part of the Hyderabad-Visakhapatnam route, is nearing completion with construction advancing rapidly. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is working on the 89 km-long project.

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Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway: The Delhi–Amritsar–Katra Expressway is a 670 km long, 4-lane (expandable to 8 lanes) controlled-access expressway. It will connect Bahadurgarh near Delhi with Katra in Jammu and Kashmir, passing through Haryana and Punjab. The project includes a spur section linking Nakodar with Sri Guru Ram Das Ji International Airport in Amritsar. The 397.7 km long Delhi–Katra section is designated as National Expressway 5 (NE-5), and the 99 km Nakodar-Amritsar section as National Expressway 5A (NE-5A). Upon completion, the expressway will reduce the Delhi-Katra distance from 727 km to 588 km, cutting travel time from 14 hours to 6 hours, and the Delhi-Amritsar distance to 405 km, reducing travel time from 8 hours to 4 hours.

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Indore-Hyderabad Expressway: The Indore-Hyderabad Expressway, currently under construction, will span 713 km, connecting Hyderabad, the capital of Telangana, with Indore in Madhya Pradesh. It traverses through Telangana, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh, enhancing connectivity to various towns, cities, and tourist destinations along its route.

Faridabad Jewar Expressway: The upcoming six-lane expressway will significantly reduce the distance from 90 km to 31 km. Spanning 31.425 km, it will commence from the Link Road junction on the Delhi-Mumbai Express near Sector 65 in Faridabad, providing direct access to Jewar Airport.