Two decades after the Golden Quadrilateral project reshaped India's intercity connectivity, the nation is embarking on an even more ambitious infrastructure endeavor: a ₹20-trillion expressway revolution. This initiative aims to construct a new generation of access-controlled, high-speed expressways that will crisscross the country, creating a faster and smarter road network to match its growing economy.

Aims and Objectives

The primary goal of this massive undertaking is to transform connectivity, logistics, and regional growth across India, redefining mobility by 2030. The project envisions a seamless web of access-controlled corridors along the existing East-West and North-South routes, designed to serve as high-speed alternatives to the country's increasingly congested highways. These expressways will not only connect major metropolitan areas but also integrate industrial corridors, logistics hubs, and ports into a single, high-speed transport grid, creating the largest such network outside of China.

By prioritizing connectivity between manufacturing zones, logistics parks, and coastal ports, the new corridors are expected to reduce freight movement time between major industrial centers such as Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and Ahmedabad, while also linking emerging hubs like Surat, Nagpur, and Hyderabad. This initiative aligns with India's broader goals of reducing logistics costs to 8% of GDP from the current 14%, bringing it in line with developed economies.

Project Details and Progress

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has already sanctioned 9,000 km of expressway projects and plans to award another 10,000 km during 2025–27. While the overall length and investment outlay for the new corridors are yet to be finalized, the construction cost of high-speed expressways can exceed ₹40 crore per km, depending on terrain and land acquisition expenses.

Several expressway projects are already underway, with expected completion dates in the near future:

• Delhi–Mumbai Expressway: This 8-lane expressway is expected to be fully operational by October 2025, cutting travel time between Delhi and Mumbai to approximately 12 hours and reducing logistics costs. Sections are already live.
• Dwarka–Gurgaon Expressway: Partial opening with AI-powered traffic systems live, benefiting IT and financial hubs near Cyber City, Gurugram.
• Mumbai–Nagpur (Samruddhi Mahamarg): The Nagpur–Igatpuri corridor is partially live, with full launch expected in 2025, boosting agribusiness and port connectivity.
• Bengaluru–Chennai Expressway: Part open with full release expected by August 2025, providing quicker access to Bengaluru for automotive firms in Sriperumbudur and Hosur.
• Delhi–Amritsar–Katra Expressway: Expected completion by the end of 2025, facilitating faster trade and religious tourism.
• Ahmedabad–Dholera Expressway: Expected to be finished by May 2025, providing rapid access to the Dholera Special Investment Region (SIR).
• Ganga Expressway (Meerut→Prayagraj): Deadline is set for November 2025.

Impact and Benefits

The new expressway network is expected to bring about significant benefits, including:

• Reduced travel times: The proposed corridors are expected to reduce travel time by up to 40%. For instance, the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway is projected to cut travel time between the two cities to around 12 hours.
• Lower logistics costs: By streamlining freight movement and improving connectivity, the expressways aim to reduce India's logistics costs, making the country more competitive.
• Enhanced supply chain efficiency: The improved connectivity will enhance supply chain efficiency, enabling faster movement of goods and materials.
• Improved access to ports: New routes like Raipur–Visakhapatnam and Samruddhi Mahamarg provide direct links to ports, helping exporters ship faster and more efficiently.
• Boost to tourism: Roads to Katra, Dwarka, and Goa are opening up quick getaways, with hotels and tour operators already reporting better tourist flow.
• Economic growth: The expressway projects are expected to fuel regional economic growth, improve connectivity between major cities, and encourage industrial investments.

Golden Quadrilateral: A Precursor

This new expressway revolution can be seen as a successor to the Golden Quadrilateral project, which was launched in 1999 and completed in 2012. The Golden Quadrilateral connected the four major metropolitan cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata, and played a vital role in reducing travel time, facilitating trade, and driving regional development. The new expressway network aims to build upon this foundation, extending connectivity to more regions and further boosting India's economic growth.

Looking Ahead

The development of this ₹20-trillion expressway network is a significant step towards transforming India's infrastructure landscape. By creating a faster, smarter, and more efficient transportation system, India aims to unlock its economic potential and emerge as a global leader. This ambitious project, with its focus on connectivity, logistics, and regional development, has the potential to reshape the country's future and drive it towards becoming a developed nation by 2047.