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What is the story about?
Road travel across North India is set to become much faster with the inauguration of the first stretch of the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Greenfield Expressway. Once the entire 667-km corridor is operational, travel time from Delhi to Amritsar is expected to reduce to around four hours, while the Delhi to Katra journey could take nearly six hours, making road trips, family holidays and pilgrimages quicker and more convenient.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first 157.92-km section of the expressway during his visit to Jind, Haryana. Built at an estimated cost of ₹9,680 crore, the newly opened stretch is part of the larger 667-km Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Greenfield Expressway, which will connect Delhi with Katra in Jammu & Kashmir.
A faster route across four states
Spanning Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir, the expressway is being developed at an estimated cost of ₹38,905 crore. Designed as a four-lane highway with provisions for future expansion to eight lanes, it will offer a faster alternative to the heavily congested NH-44, one of North India's busiest road corridors.
The project has been divided into multiple construction packages to speed up construction. While the first 157.92-km stretch has now been inaugurated, work on the remaining sections is underway.
Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway: How much travel time will it save?
One of the biggest highlights of the project is the significant reduction in travel time. According to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the journey from Delhi to Amritsar is expected to take about four hours once the expressway is fully completed. The drive currently takes around seven to eight hours, depending on traffic conditions.
The Delhi-Katra journey will see an even bigger improvement. The current road trip of around 727 km takes about 14 hours. Once the expressway is fully operational, the distance is expected to reduce to nearly 588 km, while travel time will come down to around six hours.
Which cities will the expressway connect?
The expressway begins near Delhi before entering Haryana, passing through Jhajjar, Rohtak, Sonipat, Jind and Kaithal. It then enters Punjab, connecting Patiala, Sangrur, Malerkotla, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Nakodar.
From Nakodar, the expressway splits into two routes.
One branch heads towards Amritsar, passing through Sultanpur Lodhi, Goindwal Sahib, Khadur Sahib and Tarn Taran before reaching Sri Guru Ram Das Ji International Airport. Major attractions such as the Golden Temple and the Wagah Border are expected to become much easier to reach from Delhi, making weekend road trips more convenient.
The second branch continues towards Jammu & Kashmir through Kapurthala, Gurdaspur, Dinanagar and Pathankot before reaching Katra, the base town for the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine. The improved connectivity is expected to significantly reduce travel time for pilgrims visiting the shrine.
How the expressway will improve connectivity
The Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway is designed to connect much more than major cities. Through nearly 35 major interchanges, it will link industrial hubs, logistics parks, agricultural markets and important religious destinations, creating a seamless transport network across the region.
According to the government, the expressway is expected to boost tourism, trade and freight movement while reducing travel time for both passenger and commercial vehicles.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first 157.92-km section of the expressway during his visit to Jind, Haryana. Built at an estimated cost of ₹9,680 crore, the newly opened stretch is part of the larger 667-km Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Greenfield Expressway, which will connect Delhi with Katra in Jammu & Kashmir.
A faster route across four states
Spanning Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir, the expressway is being developed at an estimated cost of ₹38,905 crore. Designed as a four-lane highway with provisions for future expansion to eight lanes, it will offer a faster alternative to the heavily congested NH-44, one of North India's busiest road corridors.
The project has been divided into multiple construction packages to speed up construction. While the first 157.92-km stretch has now been inaugurated, work on the remaining sections is underway.
Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway: How much travel time will it save?
One of the biggest highlights of the project is the significant reduction in travel time. According to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the journey from Delhi to Amritsar is expected to take about four hours once the expressway is fully completed. The drive currently takes around seven to eight hours, depending on traffic conditions.
The Delhi-Katra journey will see an even bigger improvement. The current road trip of around 727 km takes about 14 hours. Once the expressway is fully operational, the distance is expected to reduce to nearly 588 km, while travel time will come down to around six hours.
Which cities will the expressway connect?
The expressway begins near Delhi before entering Haryana, passing through Jhajjar, Rohtak, Sonipat, Jind and Kaithal. It then enters Punjab, connecting Patiala, Sangrur, Malerkotla, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Nakodar.
From Nakodar, the expressway splits into two routes.
One branch heads towards Amritsar, passing through Sultanpur Lodhi, Goindwal Sahib, Khadur Sahib and Tarn Taran before reaching Sri Guru Ram Das Ji International Airport. Major attractions such as the Golden Temple and the Wagah Border are expected to become much easier to reach from Delhi, making weekend road trips more convenient.
The second branch continues towards Jammu & Kashmir through Kapurthala, Gurdaspur, Dinanagar and Pathankot before reaching Katra, the base town for the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine. The improved connectivity is expected to significantly reduce travel time for pilgrims visiting the shrine.
How the expressway will improve connectivity
The Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway is designed to connect much more than major cities. Through nearly 35 major interchanges, it will link industrial hubs, logistics parks, agricultural markets and important religious destinations, creating a seamless transport network across the region.
According to the government, the expressway is expected to boost tourism, trade and freight movement while reducing travel time for both passenger and commercial vehicles.
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