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 15 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.
Delhi Amritsar Katra Expressway: 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.
Here’s its route through Punjab via the EIA Report:
Delhi Amritsar Katra Expressway: Construction Status & Contracts
The project has been divided up into roughly 20 civil tenders / packages. Phase 1 (all greenfield) consists of 15 packages each with a 24 month (2 year) deadline. Within that, the main Delhi – Gurdaspur Expressway consists of 12 packages and Nakodar-Amritsar spur consists of 3.
Note: the scope of each may include additional work for approach roads.
Phase 1 (Greenfield)
| Package (Length) & Section | Status |
| Package 1 (34 km): Jasaur Kheri on KMP Expressway to Junction with Rohtak Panipat road (NH 709) near Rukhi Paani village (Km 0.000 to Km 34.000) | KCC Buildcon Pvt. Ltd. |
| Package 2 (26.80 km): Junction with Rohtak Panipat road (NH709) near Rukhi Paani village to Junction with Jind Panipat road (NH352A) near Gangana (Km 34.000 to Km 60.800) | CDS Infra Projects Ltd. |
| Package 3 (30.6 km): Junction with Jind-Panipat road NH352A near Gangana village to Junction with Jind Karnal road NH709A near Alewa village (Km 60.800 to Km 91.400) | KCC Buildcon Pvt. Ltd. |
| Package 4 (28.85 km): Junction with Jind Karnal road NH709A near Alewa to Junction with Ambala Kaithal Hissar road NH152 near Kharak Pandwa village (Km 91.400 to 120.250) | NKC Projects |
| Package 5 (37.67 km): Junction with Ambala Kaithal Hissar road NH152 to Junction with Patiala Samana Patran road SH10 (Km 120.250 to Km 157.920) | CDS Infraprojects Ltd. |
| Package 6 (30.91 km): Junction with Patiala-Samana-Patran road (SH-10) near Ghagga village to Junction with Patiala-Bathinda road (NH-7) near Bhawanigarh (Km 157.920 to Km 188.830) | Shiv Build India – Mehta Construction Co. JV |
| Package 7 (36.94 km): Junction with Patiala-Bathinda road (NH-7) near Bhawanigarh to Junction with Ludhiana-Malerkotla road (SH-11) near Bhogiwal village (Km 188.830 to Km 225.770) | Ceigall India Ltd. |
| Package 8 (35.09 km): Junction with Ludhiana Malerkotla road SH11 near Bhogiwal village to Junction with Ludhiana Moga road NH-5 near Mullanpur Dakha (Km 225.770 to 260.860) | Evrascon – MKC Infrastructure Ltd. (JV) |
| Package 9 (43.04 km): Junction with Ludhiana Moga road NH 5 near Mullanpur Dakha to Junction with Jalandhar Moga road NH 703 near Kang Sahibu village (Km 260.860 to Km 303.900) | Evrascon – MKC Infrastructure Ltd. (JV) |
| Package 10 (15.5 km): Junction with Jalandhar Moga road (NH-703) Kang Sahibu village to Junction with Jalandhar Kapurthala road (NH703A) near Khojewal village (Km 303.900 to Km 319.400) | Evrascon – MKC Infrastructure Ltd. (JV) |
| Package 11 (43.02 km): Junction with Jalandhar-Kapurthala road NH-703A near Khojewal village to Junction with Amritsar-Tanda road NH-503A near Sri Hargobindpur (Km 319.400 to Km 362.420) | Evrascon – MKCIL JV |
| Package 12 (35.28 km) : Junction with Amritsar-Tanda road (NH-503A) near Sri Hargobindpur to Junction with Pathankot-Gurdaspur road (NH-54) near Gurdaspur (Km 362.420 to Km 397.700) | Evrascon – MKCIL JV |
| Spur Package 1 (40.90 km) : Nakodar to MDR Junction at ch.40.900 Dhunda Village-Junction with NH3 near Goindwal Sahib | SP Singla is lowest bidder |
| Spur Package 2 (30.05 km): MDR Junction at ch.40.900 Dhunda Village to Junction with NH3 and Taran taran Bypass near Mannawalla village Ch 70.950 | Ceigall India – Krishna Constructions JV |
| Spur Package 3 (28.07 km): NH3 and Taran taran Bypass near Mannawalla village Ch 70.950 to NH354 Ajanala road near Harsh china village Ch 99.020 | Joint Stock Company Industrial Association Vozrozhdenie |
Phase 2 (Greenfield & Brownfield Upgrade)
| Package (Length) & Section | Status |
| Package 13 (25.8 km): Details Awaited (397.700 to Km 423.500) | Tender Notice Pending |
| Package 14 (44.6 km): Junction with Pathankot Gurdaspur Rd NH54 near Balsua to Junction with Hiranagar Rd near Gurha Baildaran (Km 423.500 to Km 468.100) | Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Ltd. (MEIL) (10 bids were received) |
| Package 15 (35.15 km): Junction with Hiranagar Rd near village Gurha Baildaran to Junction with Jammu Ring Rd NH244A near Jakh village (Km 468.100 to Km 503.250) | Vishwa Samudra Engineering Pvt. Ltd. |
| Package 16 (11.8km): Development of Jakh (Vijaypur) Kunjwani section of NH-44 to 6-lane Expressway standards (Design Km 503.200 to Km 515.000 of Ch. 0 to 7.385 of NH-144A Spur Connectivity to Jammu Airport) | Shivalaya Construction Co. Pvt. Ltd. |
| Package 17 (13.3 km + 15.62 km) Development of Kunjwani to Sidhra Section of NH-44 (Km 515.000 to Km 528.300) and Domel to Katra Section (Km 550.900 to Km 566.520) | APCO Infratech is lowest bidder |
