Delhi–Amritsar–Katra Expressway: A 667-km Access-Controlled Highway under Bharatmala Project

Delhi–Amritsar–Katra Expressway: A 667-km Access-Controlled Highway under Bharatmala Project

¨     Delhi–Amritsar–Katra Expressway is a 667-km access-controlled highway corridor being developed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) under the Bharatmala Pariyojana.

¨     On 17 July 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Packages 1 to 5, covering 157.92 km in Jind, Haryana, and Package 6, covering 30.9 km in Jalandhar, Punjab.

¨     The inaugurated sections together cover more than 188 km.

¨     Packages 1 to 5 were developed at a cost of approximately ₹9,680 crore.

¨     The expressway is being constructed as a four-lane highway with provision for future expansion to eight lanes.

¨     The corridor connects Delhi, Amritsar, and Katra through Haryana, Punjab, and Jammu & Kashmir.

¨     It is designed to reduce traffic congestion on National Highway-44 (NH-44), also known as the Grand Trunk (GT) Road.

¨     The expressway is expected to reduce travel time between Delhi and Katra from about 14 hours to nearly 6 hours.

¨     It is also expected to reduce travel time between Delhi and Amritsar from around 8 hours to about 4 hours.

¨     The project will improve regional connectivity, freight movement, tourism, and pilgrimage travel, including access to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine.