India is making strides towards modernised and efficient infrastructure, as the nation celebrates the opening of the first section of its ambitious expressway linking New Delhi to Mumbai. At 1,386 km in length, this eight-lane carriageway is set to become India's longest and will significantly reduce travel time between the two major cities, making the entire journey only 12 hours. The historic moment was marked with the inauguration of the 246-km stretch of the expressway, connecting Delhi to Lalsot in the state of Rajasthan. The expressway Covering multiple states and even more cities, the inauguration of this stretch marks a new milestone. Mudit Garg, Project Director, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), reveals, “This is the first highway passing through the states of Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra and covering major cities such as Gurugram, Jaipur, Kota, Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Ujjain, Indore, Vadodara, Surat, Ahmedabad and Mumbai.” It further connects to key infrastructure such as the Jawaharlal Nehru Port. The construction of a 246-km highway is no mean feat. The road was designed using the prefecture pavement design with a lifecycle of 50 years. “The bituminous layer is 300-mm thick and the layer is so smooth that the quality rivals a concrete road,” adds Garg. To further enhance the quality of the road, distilled dense bituminous macadam (DBM) was used in the bituminous layer along with mastic asphalt. The mastic asphalt plays a key role in ensuring that the bearing surface maintains its smoothness and allows commuters an easy ride. Materials used 450,000 tonne of cement 125,000 tonne of steel 250,000 tonne of bitumen 60 million cu m of earthwork Totalling Rs 121.53 billion, this section of the expressway was executed on an EPC basis and funded by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). The challenges As is the case with many greenfield projects, Garg points out that land acquisition has been a challenge in the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway too. “We have built through two COVID-19 waves that created even more difficulties for us.” The first 50 km of the expressway passes through the Mewat region in Haryana that is “typically known for safety issues and waterlogging”. According to Garg, clearing these took the most time. “To safeguard against these, water-penetrating instruments and methodologies were provided. The local administration has also been extremely helpful in resolving issues and ensuring a smooth process.” On the road to safety The expressway is equipped with PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) cameras, ATMS (advanced traffic management system) and VIDS (Video incident detection system) for smart monitoring. “The cameras can take goodresolution images from more than 500 m away and are installed in 1-km sections in every package”, shares Garg. A special master control room has been prepared at km-0 in Gurgaon and sub-control rooms have been constructed in other packages. Maintenance will be undertaken by the EPC contractor with a defect liability period of five years. “Other measures such as ambulances and patrolling are also covered by them,” he adds. The growth Over 600,000 trees have been planted to mitigate any effects of pollution. Traffic congestion will be significantly reduced on the NH48. “The Centre is also coordinating with state governments to develop satellite cities around the access-controlled highway,” informs Garg. The highway has interchanges planned at every 20-30 km that will be developed by the respective state governments. Commenting on the significance of the highway, he says, “The expressway will have a catalytic impact on the development trajectory of all the adjoining regions and will contribute in a major way to the economic transformation of the country. It will provide connectivity and bring about development of underdeveloped and unattended regions in Rajasthan and Haryana for the industrial and commercial sectors; generating thousands of jobs.” With the deadline set for 2024, the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway is set to usher in new developments. Areas like Gurugram are set to see a significant rise in their real estate. Along with the economic benefit, the project could well be a powerful tool for social integration, connecting disparate regions with key cities. - Sneha Iyer