On 17 July 2026, packages 1–5 (157.92 km in Jind, Haryana) and package 6 (30.9 km in Jalandhar, Punjab) of the Delhi–Amritsar–Katra Expressway were inaugurated, opening 188.82 km of the corridor.
Project profile
- Total length: 667 km greenfield, access‑controlled corridor under development by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) under Bharatmala Pariyojana.
- Cross‑section: Designed as four lanes with provision for future expansion to eight lanes.
- Cost: Packages 1–5 valued at about ₹9,680 crore; inaugurated stretches total 188.82 km.
Route & connectivity
- States traversed: Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir.
- Primary linkage: Direct corridor between Delhi, Amritsar and Katra; provides an alternative to NH‑44 (Grand Trunk Road).
- Access control: Limited entry/exit points to enable higher sustained speeds and regulated traffic flow.
Travel time & pilgrimage link
- Delhi–Katra: Travel time projected to fall from ~14 hours to ~6 hours.
- Delhi–Amritsar: Travel time projected to fall from ~8 hours to ~4 hours.
- Katra connection: Corridor provides faster access to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrimage route.
Logistics & economic features
- Freight movement: Designed to facilitate faster inter‑city freight and planned industrial clusters along the corridor.
- Traffic relief: Expected diversion of long‑distance traffic away from NH‑44, reducing congestion.
IASPOINT Booster Facts
- Implementing agency: National Highway Authority of India (statutory body under Ministry of Road Transport and Highways).
- Bharatmala: Central programme for economic corridors, inter‑connectivity and improved national highway density.
- Greenfield expressway: New alignment allows higher design speed and alignment standards compared with retrofitting existing roads.