6 days ago
M aharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to inaugurate last stretch of Samruddhi expressway between Bhiwandi & Igatpuri
Nashik: The final stretch of the Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Expressway will be opened to the public at an event in Nashik's Igatpuri taluka on June 5. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis will inaugurate the last 76km section, between Bhiwandi (Thane) and Igatpuri, of the Rs 55,000 crore expressway, said the officials of the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation.
The completion of this 701km greenfield project, the brainchild of Fadnavis and executed by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), will reduce the journey time between Nagpur and Mumbai from over 16 hours to eight hours, with speeds permitted up to 150 kmph.
"With the completion of the road, the traffic movement to and from Mumbai will be much faster. Nashik residents will benefit from it, given that they will be able to glide through the ghat section where the travel time reduces from 25 minutes to a little over eight minutes.
Overall, they will save more than 45 minutes," said Rajesh Patel, a businessman frequently travelling to Mumbai.
"The biggest beneficiaries in the district would be the areas around Sinnar and the soon-to-come-up dry port at Niphad, which have very quick access to the highway," said Rakesh Vanjari, an industrialist from Sinnar, who added that Sangamner and Ahmednagar-bound motorists will also benefit.
This section showcases exceptional engineering, featuring five tunnels spanning 11km, a single 7.7km tunnel, and 22 viaducts totalling 11km, with the longest being 2.3km and the highest pillar reaching 84m.
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The expressway traverses 10 districts, linking 26 talukas with Mumbai and Nagpur, while benefiting 14 additional districts. The infrastructure was constructed on 8,800 hectares acquired between 2014 and 2019 during Fadnavis's tenure as chief minister.
Construction progress slowed during the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent govt change. However, development accelerated under chief minister Eknath Shinde's leadership.
The Igatpuri inauguration signals the project's completion and ensures Devendra Fadnavis's name amongst its inaugurators.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first section from Nagpur to Shirdi in Dec 2022, followed by then CM Eknath Shinde opening the Shirdi to Bharvir stretch in May 2023, and MSRDC minister Dada Bhuse launching the Bharvir to Igatpuri segment.
