DELHI AMRITSAR KATRA EXPRESSWAY

Delhi–Amritsar–Katra Expressway – Information & Status

650 km Delhi – Amritsar – Katra (DAK) expressway project (NE-5 & NE-5A) by NHAI is an under construction 4-lane access-controlled road with a route alignment connecting Jasaur Kheri, Jhajjar District near Delhi with Katra north of Jammu city.

This mix of brownfield & greenfield project was first announced in 2016 and its Detailed Project Report (DPR) was finalized in 2019. Although bidding is underway, the project is currently facing land acquisition hurdles in Punjab where farmers are seeking higher compensation for their farm land.

Phase 1 involves the construction of a 397.7 km greenfield expressway between Delhi – Ludhiana – Gurdaspur and a 99 km spur connecting Nakodar – Amritsar. It has been divided into 18 tenders / sections for construction with a 2 year deadline.

• Phase 1’s Estimated Cost: Rs 25,000 crore

• Project’s Total Length: 650 km (approx.)

• Main Expressway’s Length: 550 km (approx.)

• Greenfield Expressway (Delhi – Gurdaspur): 397.712 km

• Greenfield Spur (Nakodar – Amritsar): 99 km

• Lanes: 4 (expandable to 8)

• Right of Way (ROW): 90m

• Owner: National Highway Authority of India (NHAI)

• Status: Under Construction, Under Bidding and Land Acquisition

• Completion Deadline: December, 2025

• Project Model: Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM)

Phase 2 will connect Gurdaspur – Pathankot – Jammu – Katra and will be a brownfield expansion of the existing NH-54 (old NH-15) and NH-44 (old NH-1) highway.

In addition, a 12.345 km Pathankot Link Road is being built to connect Gobindsar village on the Delhi – Katra Expressway’s  with Talwara Jattan Village on NH-44 in Gurdaspur District. 

Design & Route Map

Delhi – Amritsar – Katra Expressway’s Detailed Project Report (DPR) and alignment studies were prepared by Feedback Infrastructure in 2019 and land acquisition started in January 2020.

Phase 1 will start from Kundli Manesar Palwal Expressway (KMP) near Kheri Jasaur village in Jhajjar district and ends at Gurdaspur Bypass in Gurdaspur district (Chainage 397+712). Its greenfield Nakodar – Amritsar spur starts from Nakodar village at intersection of Delhi – Katra Expressway with NH 703 (old NH 71) (Expressway Km 306) and ends on Amritsar-Ajnala Road NH 354 near Amritsar’s Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport.

Along its route, the expressway’s alignment will pass through Jhajjar, Rohtak, Sonipat, Jind, Karnal & Kaithal districts of Haryana State, and through Patiala, Sangrur, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Tarn Taran, Amritsar & Gurdaspur districts of Punjab State.

According to reports, Initially Delhi to Katra Expressway project was proposed by Jammu & Kashmir Government and in 2017 MoRTH Minister Nitin Gadkari added this project as Delhi Amritsar Katra Expressway project in Bharatmala Pariyojana.