The Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway is a major infrastructure project defined as a 667-670 km long, four-lane (expandable to eight lanes) controlled-access highway under construction by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). The project was initially conceived in 2016 and formally announced by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on September 14, 2016, to establish a dedicated high-speed corridor connecting the National Capital Region with the Sikh holy site of Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar and the Hindu pilgrimage center of Vaishno Devi in Katra. The primary problem it solves is the chronic congestion on existing routes like NH-44 and NH-1A, aiming to reduce the travel time from Delhi to Amritsar from eight hours to approximately four hours, and from Delhi to Katra from over twelve hours to about six hours.
The expressway is a blend of greenfield and brownfield sections, with an estimated cost of around ₹40,000 crore. It is being developed as a core component of the central government's flagship infrastructure scheme, the Bharatmala Pariyojana. The project is divided into two main parts: the Delhi–Katra Expressway, which is designated as National Expressway 5 (NE-5), and the Nakodar–Amritsar spur, designated as National Expressway 5A (NE-5A). The mechanism involves construction in multiple packages, with the main route starting near the Kundli Manesar Palwal (KMP) Expressway in Haryana and passing through Haryana, Punjab, and Jammu & Kashmir. The expressway will also connect significant Sikh religious sites, including Sultanpur Lodhi, Goindwal Sahib, Khadoor Sahib, and Tarn Taran.
The project has faced recent changes in its timeline; while the foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 24, 2022, and initial completion was targeted for 2023 or 2026, delays due to land acquisition issues in Punjab have pushed the full operationalization of some sections, such as the Amritsar Spur Section I, to March 2028. The construction is being executed under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) for some phases and includes the construction of Asia's longest six-lane cable bridge over the Beas River.