The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is set to embark on a significant infrastructure project, aiming to establish an 86.5km access-controlled highway connecting the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway to the 227km long Narnaul-Ambala Expressway, commonly known as the Trans-Haryana Expressway. This crucial development aims to enhance connectivity between Narnaul in southern Haryana and Ambala, situated near Chandigarh.
The connecting highway will seamlessly merge the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway at Baroda Mev, Alwar, and the Trans-Haryana Expressway at Paniyala near Narnaul, Haryana. This strategic link will offer convenient access for travelers journeying from northern states to Jaipur and beyond, extending towards Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, according to NHAI officials.
NHAI officials have confirmed that the tender for constructing this access-controlled expressway has already been awarded, and construction is slated to commence shortly.
Mukesh Kumar Meena, Project Director at NHAI, stated, “The land transfer to NHAI for the construction of the connecting highway will be completed promptly, and we are striving to initiate the project at the earliest. The project is expected to conclude within two years from the commencement of construction.”
The estimated cost of the project is approximately ₹1,400 crore, and the expressway will comprise six lanes, ensuring streamlined access to the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway and destinations beyond.
The 86.5km highway will link the southern terminus of the Trans-Haryana Expressway to the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway at Baroda Mev. NHAI received a notable 29 bids for this project.
The 227km Trans-Haryana Expressway (NH-152D) was inaugurated for traffic in August 2022, passing through several key locations, including Kaul, Pundri, Assandh, Dhatrath, Kalanaur, Charkhi Dadri, and Kanina.
Meena emphasized that the construction of this connecting highway will alleviate traffic congestion on the Delhi-Chandigarh and Delhi-Jaipur highways. Commuters and heavy vehicles will have the option to bypass Delhi and directly access Rajasthan and neighboring states using the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway from Baroda Mev.
Haryana’s government has lauded the Trans-Haryana Expressway for offering long-distance vehicles, especially commercial ones, a more efficient route from states such as Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir to Jaipur and beyond. This alternative route bypasses the congested Delhi-Jaipur highway, the capital city of Delhi, and the Delhi-Chandigarh highway.
Moreover, the region surrounding the expressway is being developed into an industrial corridor, known as the Ambala-Kotputli Economic Corridor.