The much-anticipated Delhi-Katra Expressway, designed to reduce travel time between Delhi and Katra to under eight hours, will now take at least one more year to complete.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) informed the Lok Sabha that two sections of the expressway in Punjab are expected to be finished by March 2026, while two additional links will be ready by April 2027.

The 667-km greenfield expressway, costing Rs 40,000 crore, aims to ease travel on the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra route. Despite an initial target for completion by 2023, progress has been slower due to several challenges. NHAI awarded five out of 21 project packages in March 2021, with the Haryana section (158 km) slated for completion by April. However, the project has faced delays due to land availability and contractual issues, especially in Punjab.

One contract covering a 30 km stretch in Punjab was terminated by NHAI because of land acquisition complications. The Ministry assured Parliament that "work will be taken after resolving the land acquisition issues," emphasising efforts to address these hurdles before resuming construction.