DND To Faridabad In 20 Minutes? New 9-Km Delhi-Mumbai Expressway Link Opens For Trial
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has opened a new 9-km stretch connecting the DND Flyway with Jaitpur on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway for trial runs, strengthening Delhi’s direct access to the country’s longest access-controlled expressway. Nearly 8.5 km of the newly opened section is elevated. The stretch is expected to ease travel for commuters heading towards Faridabad, Ballabhgarh and Sohna, while providing smoother access to destinations such as Jaipur and Sawai Madhopur. The opening is particularly significant for motorists travelling from east and south Delhi, Noida and Ghaziabad, who will now have a more seamless route to the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway.
The new corridor is expected to provide relief to commuters travelling between Ashram, Kalindi Kunj and Faridabad. It is also likely to divert a portion of the traffic currently using congested stretches of Ring Road and Mathura Road towards Faridabad, Ballabhgarh and Sohna. According to reports, the DND Flyway-Faridabad journey could take around 20 minutes using the new link, compared with more than 30 minutes currently required for travel between Ashram and the Badarpur border.
The Jaitpur-KMP interchange section had already been opened, and the latest opening further advances the Delhi link to the expressway. Around 50 km of the 59-km Delhi link, running from the DND Flyway to the junction of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway with the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway, has now been opened in phases. The DND-Jaitpur section effectively completes Delhi’s direct connection to the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway. From the expressway, motorists will be able to travel towards destinations including Jaipur and Sawai Madhopur, providing a more direct high-speed route from the national capital towards Rajasthan and beyond.
No Toll During Trial Period: The newly opened stretch is currently available for motorists on a trial basis, and no toll will be charged during this period, as reported by Swarajya. NHAI has opened the corridor for trial runs after construction work and safety audits were completed. The trial period will allow officials to monitor traffic movement, identify shortcomings and address any deficiencies before the stretch is formally commissioned. The arrangement is also expected to help authorities assess how the new link performs under actual traffic conditions.
The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway was originally planned as a corridor between Sohna in Haryana and Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT) near Mumbai. According to a report in The Times of India, in August 2018, NHAI proposed extending the alignment towards the DND Flyway so that the expressway could begin directly from Delhi. The extension was intended to create a more integrated connection between the national capital and the country’s longest access-controlled expressway, reducing the need for motorists to rely on existing congested urban routes to reach the expressway.
The DND-Jaitpur opening comes as work continues to make the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway operational across a larger section of the corridor. At a recent review meeting chaired by Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, NHAI officials said the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway is likely to be fully operational up to Vadodara by December. If achieved, the target would allow motorists to travel uninterrupted over a significantly longer section of the Delhi-Mumbai corridor.
Noida Airport To Get Direct Expressway Connection: The Centre is also working on a direct connection between the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway and Noida International Airport. The Union Cabinet approved a modified alignment in March, including an 11-km elevated section connecting Faridabad with the airport. The revised project has an estimated cost of Rs 3,631 crore. The planned connection is expected to strengthen links between the expressway, Delhi-NCR and the upcoming airport.
The DND-Jaitpur opening is part of a wider effort to improve high-speed road connectivity across Delhi and neighbouring regions. With the Delhi link progressing, the proposed Noida airport connection taking shape and the target of making the expressway operational up to Vadodara by December, the expanding network is expected to provide more direct routes for both daily commuters and long-distance traffic.
