NEW DELHI: The first leg of Delhi-Mumbai Expressway from DND Flyway to Jaitpur in National Capital will be ready in next 20 days, and PM Narendra Modi will be requested to inaugurate it, road transport minister Nitin Gadkari said on Monday. He carried out inspection of the DND–Faridabad–Sohna access-controlled part of the Expressway with Delhi CM Rekha Gupta and ministers from Centre, Delhi and Haryana.Once this stretch is opened for traffic, people traveling from Noida, East and South Delhi can bypass congested city roads to reach Sohna and head towards Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra. An under-construction 31.5-km link from this access-controlled stretch to Jewar airport will reduce travel time from South Delhi to the new airport to only 45 minutes.Addressing mediapersons after the inspection, Gadkari said the link from DND to Sohna is part of Centre's Delhi-NCR decongestion plan, aimed at ease of living and seamless movement across the region. He added that the Centre is working to make Delhi’s transport network modern and future-ready by constructing new expressways, ring roads, tunnels and elevated corridors while announcing plans for projects worth Rs 34,000 crore for Delhi-NCR. These include a six-lane link from UER-II to Delhi-Dehradun Expressway and another six-lane connectivity from Delhi-Dehradun Expressway to Noida and Faridabad.Gupta, in her address, said that Centre has invested Rs 1.3 lakh crore for highway development in the capital and its surrounding areas. “Delhi’s traffic situation would have been unimaginable today had Centre not gone ahead with construction of expressways, elevated corridors, tunnels and signal-free road networks,” she said.In response to a question on congestion at Delhi’s borders due to collection of Environment Compensation Cess (ECC) from goods vehicles and municipal toll, Gadkari said he has talked to Delhi CM on the issue and a solution will be found soon.The Delhi stretch of Mumbai expressway begins at Maharani Bagh near DND Flyway in Delhi and passes Kalindi Kunj, Jaitpur-Mithapur road and Faridabad Bypass before linking to Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway near Khalilpur in Haryana’s Nuh.Unique Feature Network Arch BridgeThe landmark Network Arch Bridge incorporates advanced engineering features such as inclined crossed hangers, high-damping rubber bearings, swivel-type expansion joints, DYWIDAG galvanized suspenders, E450 structural steel, and Grade 10.9 high tensile bolts. These elements ensure superior structural efficiency, seismic resilience, long-term durability, and enhanced riding comfort.Constructed at a cost of Rs 142.3 crore, the bridge stands out with 36.4 meter wide pier caps, which is among the widest in India, and a 47 meter high arch rib. Together, these features make it an iconic and aesthetically significant addition to Delhi–NCR’s connectivity infrastructure.In compensation for forest diversion, afforestation is being undertaken on 10 hectares of barren land allocated by NTPC, previously used for fly ash dumping. This site is being developed into a Jungle Safari project initiated by the Delhi Government, combining ecological restoration with public engagement.