The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has taken over the development of two major expressway projects in Rajasthan — the Jaipur–Pachpadra and Bikaner–Kotputli corridors. These projects, originally proposed by the Rajasthan state government, are now being implemented by NHAI as part of a broader effort to enhance road connectivity across the state and support industrial expansion. Both corridors are expected to significantly reduce travel time, facilitate goods movement, and improve access between regions.
The Jaipur–Pachpadra expressway will extend approximately 350 kilometers and is estimated to cost around eleven thousand four hundred ninety-two crore rupees. It will pass through important towns including Kishangarh, Ajmer, and Jodhpur before terminating at Pachpadra in Barmer district. This area has gained strategic importance due to the ongoing construction of the Barmer refinery. According to NHAI officials, the proposed greenfield alignment will offer a faster and more efficient alternative to the current route. Presently, the journey from Jaipur to Pachpadra is approximately 426 kilometers and takes nearly seven and a half hours. Upon completion of the new expressway, travel time is expected to be considerably shorter, benefiting logistics and freight traffic heading to western Rajasthan.
The Bikaner–Kotputli expressway, the second project, will cover around 295 kilometers and is expected to cost about ten thousand fifty-three crore rupees. The existing road between Bikaner and Kotputli is approximately 340 kilometers long and requires six hours of travel time. The new expressway will reduce the distance by about 45 kilometers, but more importantly, its access-controlled design will allow higher travel speeds, bringing down the travel time to nearly three hours. This expressway is expected to improve connectivity to major urban centers such as Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, and Agra, and serve as a critical alternate corridor for both passenger and freight traffic.
These two expressways form part of a group of nine new national corridors being implemented by NHAI to strengthen infrastructure in economically emerging regions. Their inclusion in the national plan underlines the central government’s focus on enhancing connectivity in states like Rajasthan, which has vast territorial coverage but relatively fewer high-speed transport routes. These upgrades are projected to encourage private investment, improve supply chain efficiency, and expand industrial and urban growth areas along the expressway routes.
Both the Jaipur–Pachpadra and Bikaner–Kotputli expressways are expected to be developed using the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM). This model involves partial government funding during the construction phase, covering up to 40 percent of the total cost in phased payments. The remaining 60 percent is financed by the concessionaire, who receives fixed annuity payments over a set period, typically ranging from 15 to 20 years, after the road becomes operational. The structure helps balance financial risks between the public and private sectors, while ensuring long-term project maintenance.
Beyond improving connectivity, the expressways are poised to deliver wide-ranging sectoral benefits. The Jaipur–Pachpadra corridor will enhance access to Barmer’s industrial hubs, particularly aiding the petroleum and chemical sectors. The Bikaner–Kotputli expressway will serve as a major freight and passenger movement corridor between western Rajasthan and the industrial areas of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Both routes are also expected to ease pressure on existing national highways that currently handle a high volume of regional traffic, especially near Jaipur and surrounding urban clusters.
Preparatory work such as land acquisition and detailed project reports is already in progress. NHAI is expected to finalize contractors by the end of 2025, and construction activity may begin in 2026. With a typical construction period of two to two-and-a-half years, both expressways are projected to be operational before the end of the decade. Once functional, these corridors will play a vital role in reshaping Rajasthan’s connectivity landscape and supporting its integration with broader national freight and passenger networks.
