India boasts a comprehensive network of expressways, totaling 5,930 kilometers, with an additional stretch of over 11,000 kilometers currently in the process of being built, aimed at significantly improving long-distance travel by vehicles. This network includes 12 National Expressways, such as the record-breaking Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, and 32 State Expressways, both operational and in progress. Uttar Pradesh stands out as the state with the highest number of expressways, with six currently in use and seven more under development, totaling 13 expressways.
Expressways in India are considered advanced versions of highways, featuring controlled entry points to prevent accidents and unnecessary delays for high-speed traffic.
This article will provide readers with insights into the top 10 Expressways in India highlighting their significance.
The Delhi Mumbai Expressway, spanning 577 kilometers out of a total of 1,450 kilometers, stands as a significant achievement in the country's road network, designed to shorten the travel time from Delhi to Mumbai from 24 hours to just 12 hours. This expressway was inaugurated in 2019 by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, with the vision of transforming the road infrastructure connecting the two key cities of Delhi, the political and administrative hub, and Mumbai, the economic heart of the country.
The modern Delhi Mumbai Expressway is set to be fully operational for vehicles soon, with the final stretch of the expressway under construction. This expressway is the longest in India and will provide essential amenities along the way to make the journey more comfortable and convenient, including rest areas, restrooms, dining options, and retail outlets.
It will traverse through Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra states, covering the entire 1,450-kilometer route. Initially, it will have eight lanes, with the potential to expand to twelve lanes in the future.
Purvanchal Expressway starts from the Gosaiganj near Lucknow and ends near Muhammadabad in Ghazipur, terminating its road infrastructure magnificence of 340 km. In Gosaiganj, this expressway quits into NH731 and in Ghazipur, the journey on the Purvanchal Expressway ends on NH31. It is an entirely functioning and one of the fastest expressways in India furnishing speedy and secure vehicular movement to the capital city Lucknow of India's most populated state from its low-key districts such as Sultanpur, Azamgarh, Ghazipur, Mau and Balia.
The construction of the Purvanchal Expressway was initiated in 2018 and was concluded in November 2021. It is the longest expressway in Uttar Pradesh that is active. The six-lane access-controlled motorway can be extended to 8 lanes in future and is materialised and preserved by the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA). Its foundation stone was laid down in 2015 state's former CM Mr Akhilesh Yadav, and, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi upon its culmination in 2021.
The Yamuna Expressway, launched in 2012 by UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, significantly cut travel time from Greater Noida to Agra by 65%, linking various districts in Western Uttar Pradesh to Delhi and the National Capital Region. Operated by YEIDA, this expressway stretches 165.567 km, worth more than Rs 22,000 crores, and sees over 100,000 vehicles daily, reducing congestion on NH2 or Mathura Road.
Looking ahead, the six-lane Yamuna Expressway could potentially be widened to eight lanes, enhancing connectivity between cities like Noida, Jewar, Vrindavan, Hathras, Mathura, and Agra.
In India, the Yamuna Expressway ranks sixth in terms of length among expressways, boasting 31 service roads for safe and secure access to key locations along its route.
In 2015, a Dassault Mirage 2000 made an emergency landing on the Yamuna Expressway to test its suitability for fighter jets to land on highways.
Delhi Meerut Expressway is one of the most busiest and is officially the widest expressway in India, having 14 lanes stretching up to Dasna. The need for the Delhi Meerut Expressway was first mentioned in 1999 in the parliament and was proposed officially in 2005. Delhi Meerut expressway in India was completed in 2021 with the inauguration of the Dasna to Meerut Package and it was built by the central government.
The total estimated cost of building this 96km road infrastructure project was between Rs 8,000 to 10,000 crores, divided into four packages.
The Mumbai Pune expressway sees over 50,000 vehicles daily, ranking among the busiest expressways in the country. Completed in 2001, it spans 94 kilometers, offering a delightful journey through its scenic views between the two major cities of Maharashtra, Mumbai & Pune.
Pune is a cultural hub in Maharashtra, while Mumbai has earned the title of India's financial capital. This connection allows for vehicles to travel at speeds up to 100 km/h between these two economic powerhouses, enhancing the synergy between the two cities.
The Mumbai Pune expressway is known for its picturesque views, passing through hills and through cities like Panvel, Khandala, Lonavala, Talegaon, among others. It is managed by the MSRDC (Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation).
Eastern Peripheral Expressway is built to ease the traffic on the Ghaziabad-Faridabad stretch and reduce the entry of over 50,000 trucks reducing the heavy vehicular pollution significantly in the national capital. In length, the Eastern Peripheral or KGP (Kundli-Ghaziabad-Palwal) expressway is 135 kilometres and is connected to the Western Peripheral Expressway on both sides, forming a ring road around the Delhi Metro City to ease the congestion by vehicles that are meant to skip the Delhi City and other major hotspots such as Gurgaon, Noida and Faridabad.
The EPE road infrastructure project’s foundation was laid down by the prime minister of India Narendra Modi in 2015 and was estimated to be built at around 11,000 crores in Indian Rupees. In 2018, the 135 km expressway in India was inaugurated and it is lashed with several state-of-the-art security and safety features such as electronic & closed tolling systems, weigh-in-motion sensors, cameras to check vehicles' speed, 4,000 kilowatts solar capacity plants, lakhs of trees plantation etc.
The WPE Expressway stands as one of India's premier expressways, boasting a 6-lane design and stretching a total of 136 kilometers. This highly anticipated project, recently celebrated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marks the construction of a western peripheral expressway, also referred to as the KMP (Kundli-Manesar-Palwal) expressway. It links Kundli in Sonipat to Palwal, traversing through Sonipat, Jhajjar, Manesar, Sohna, and Palwal.
Additionally, there are plans for a Delhi Metro line to be built along this stretch, as part of the DMRC phase V.
The expressway was officially opened to the public in 2018, with the remaining sections completed in the same year. This access-controlled expressway ranks among the top 10 in India and is a crucial component of the Delhi Rig Road initiative, designed to alleviate the congestion in Delhi and its neighboring cities by reducing the influx of unnecessary vehicles that contribute significantly to carbon emissions in the Delhi NCR area.
Ahmedabad Vadodara Expressway is a 94 km long road infrastructure, also known as Mahatma Gandhi Road, and connects the two biggest cities in the Gujarat state, Ahmedabad and Vadodara, helping business activities. This expressway was opened for public use in 2002 and is an access-controlled expressway. Although the expressway has only 2 lanes on each of the sides, the construction work to extend it to 6 lanes has been going on for several years.
It is maintained by NHAI and was built at an estimated cost of 475 crores in 2002. Two-wheeler entry is banned on this expressway to prevent unwarranted road accidents. Among the top fastest expressways in India, the Ahmedabad Vadodara Expressway goes through Nadiad and Anand cities along the route.
The Bundelkhand Expressway, spanning 296 kilometers and equipped with access restrictions, was officially opened in 2022 by the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. This expressway, which began construction in 2017, serves multiple districts by providing improved and quicker connections across the north-to-south axis of India's most densely populated state.
The expressway now links the following areas: Etawah, Jalaun, Hamiprur, Mahoba, Banda, and Chitrakoot. Its inauguration marked the completion of one of India's longest expressways, garnering widespread attention and coverage for various reasons.
The Uttar Pradesh Expressway Development Authority (UPEIDA) is tasked with the upkeep of the Bundelkhand Expressway, with the construction of this modern infrastructure costing over Rs 14,000 crores.
Mumbai Nagpur Expressway is an under-construction project in Maharashtra state and is to be maintained by MDRDC. This 6-lane expressway can be expanded to 8 lanes in future and is access-controlled for safe and secure vehicle movements. It in total covers 10 districts of Maharashtra: Nagpur, Wardha, Amravati, Washim, Budhana, Jalna, Chattrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Ahmednagar, Nashik and Thane.
This is one of the top 10 expressways in India and also one of the longest as well, having a length of 701 km in total, offering high-speed driving experience on its access-controlled 6-lane roads.
The aforementioned districts that the Mumbai Nagpur Expressway, officially known as Hindu Hridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Sammrusddhi Road, covers will benefit from the elevation of business activities.