The longest tunnel on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, passing through the Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan, is almost finished. This tunnel, the first of its kind in India, has eight lanes, divided into two parallel tubes, each with four lanes. It stretches 4.9 km in total, with 3.3 km underground and the remaining 1.6 km built using the cut-and-cover method.
According to a senior National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) official, only 60 metres of excavation remains for Tube-2 (Chechat to Kota), which will be completed within a month. After this, further excavation will be done to increase the tunnel’s width and height in certain sections.
- Full excavation completion target: June 2025
- Road construction and additional works to follow
- Tunnel completion deadline: December 2025
The entire excavation is set to finish by June 2025, after which road construction and other infrastructure work will begin. The tunnel will be equipped with:
- Modern lighting and sensors
- Pollution control systems
- AI-based monitoring
- Supervisory control and data acquisition
Currently, some areas of the tunnel are narrower, but plans are in place to expand the width from 9 to 19 metres and the height from 8 to 11 metres by March 2025. Security measures, electrical systems, and communication facilities will also be installed.
The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway spans 1,350 km, connecting Mumbai and New Delhi. In Rajasthan, 327 km of the 373 km stretch is already operational. However, the interchanges still need to be built before some sections can open for traffic.
