Transport Secretary Anurag Jain announced that the Delhi-Surat part of the 1,400-km Delhi-Mumbai expressway will be ready by March this year. The entire route up to Mumbai, except for the JNPT connection, is expected to be finished by December this year. JNPT connectivity is set to be finalized by March next year.

"Delhi-Surat connectivity will be provided by March this year sans one tunnel around which the traffic will be routed. The entire stretch till Mumbai will be connected by December this year. We will connect JNPT by march next year." Jain says.

Last February, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 246-km Delhi-Dausa-Lalsot section of the Delhi-Mumbai expressway. This expressway, costing Rs 1,05,000 crore, is the longest in India and consists of four sections. Once completed, it is anticipated to cut the travel time to Mumbai from 24 hours to just 12 hours.

Jain mentioned that the government aims to create a network of 50,000 km of controlled-access highways by 2047.

"Currently we have a network of 4,000 km of access-controlled highways. With projects in hand, we will reach at 10,000 km of such highways. Till 2047, we have to compete with the infrastructure of the developed countries. Till 2047, we will have a network of 50,000 km of access-controlled highways. This is our vision. The entire country will have a network as road users in any part of the country will have one or other access controlled highway connectivity." Jain says.

"Another key part of the vision is that any NH should not be less than two-lane paved shoulder except in the mountain regions. We have launched maintenance system as we have an ambitious target of zero complaint. We have introduced short term maintenance contracts for the roads which do not come under any concessionaire agreement and 95 percent contract have been given." Jain adds.