DNA Explainer: What is e-highway on Delhi-Mumbai Expressway? Know amenities for commuters on route

The first phase of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 12, with the Delhi-Dausa-Lalsot stretch of the highway set to be functional for the general public from February 14.

The first phase of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway is set to reduce the travel time between Delhi and Jaipur significantly, with the entire commute of just taking 3 hours through the new section. Not just a major cut in travel time, but the Delhi-Mumbai expressway offers several amenities.

One of the major special features of the massive Delhi-Mumbai Expressway is set to be the electric highway or e-highway stretch, mainly set to accommodate heavy vehicles. This e-highway will reduce traffic and be more sustainable, according to the Centre.

What is e-highway on Delhi-Mumbai Expressway?

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari announced last year during a Lok Sabha session that an e-highway or electric highway will be constructed on a stretch of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, connecting the two cities.

One of the main features of the e-highway is that trucks and buses will be running at 120 kmph on the stretch and the logistical cost will be brought down by around 70 percent as heavy vehicles will be running on electricity instead of diesel.

Out of the total eight lanes of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway e-highway, four lanes will be dedicated to the electric vehicles travelling the route. As per the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), the construction of the same is underway and is set to be completed in 2023.

Special features, amenities on Delhi-Mumbai Expressway

The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway has a lot of special features for commuters, apart from cutting down the travel time between Delhi and Mumbai to just 12 hours. The highway will have as many as 93 amenities such as ATMs, hotels, restaurants, fuel stations and charging stations for electric vehicles.

Apart from this, the Delhi to Mumbai highway will also have functional helipads and trauma centres at every 100 km for road accident victims. Further, the expressway is also being constructed in an environment-friendly way, with a tree cover of over 20 lakh trees, a drip irrigation system and rainwater harvesting systems at every 500 metres.

The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway is set to cover a distance of over 1300 km, with the total cost of the project around Rs 1 lakh crore. It will prove to be a major connecting point for five states – Delhi, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Haryana and Gujarat.

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