Watch | Night view of ‘architectural marvel’ Delhi-Mumbai Expressway

The first to be completed under the initiative, this section of the Expressway has been developed at a cost of more than Rs 12,150 crore and will reduce the travel time from the national capital to Jaipur from five hours to around two hours. It is expected to provide a major boost to the economic development of the entire region, a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said.

Once completed, the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway will become India’s longest greenfield expressway covering 1,386 km. It will reduce the travel distance between the national and financial capital by 12 per cent, from 1,424 km to 1,242 km, while the travel time will be cut by 50 per cent, from the current 24 hours to 12 hours.

The Expressway will pass through six states — Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra — and connect major cities like Kota, Indore, Jaipur, Bhopal, Vadodara and Surat. It will also improve the connectivity among economic hubs like Jaipur, Kishangarh, Ajmer, Kota, Chittorgarh, Udaipur, Bhopal, Ujjain, Indore, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, and Surat bringing economic prosperity to the region.