by Ashis Sinha
New Delhi: Imagine a road that stretches endlessly through golden sands — that’s the reality soon to unfold with the Amritsar-Jamnagar Expressway, which slices through the heart of the Thar Desert.
Slated to be operational by December, this engineering marvel is all set to become India’s second-longest expressway and a vital industrial lifeline connecting Punjab to Gujarat.
Spanning a massive 1,257 kilometers, this 6-8 lane expressway will not only reduce travel time from 26 hours to just 12-13 hours, but also transform logistics, trade, and tourism in the region.
A standout feature? Its largest segment—around 655 km—runs through Rajasthan, passing through five major desert districts including Bikaner, Jodhpur, Barmer, Hanumangarh, and Jalore. For most of this stretch, it’s sand as far as the eye can see.
Constructed in three phases by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the expressway is a key part of India’s expanding infrastructure network. In Rajasthan, it enters through Sangaria in Hanumangarh and exits near Sanchore in Jalore, carving a high-speed corridor through the arid landscape.
Beyond connecting Amritsar and Jamnagar, the expressway is a crucial link in a larger plan: it will intersect with the Delhi-Katra Expressway, offering seamless road access from Gujarat to Kashmir via Amritsar and Katra. This opens new possibilities for freight movement, religious tourism, and defense logistics.
The project, with an estimated cost of Rs 80,000 crore, is not just a road—it’s a transformative corridor weaving together Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. Once complete, it promises not just speed, but also a smoother, shorter journey across one of the world’s most iconic deserts.
