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Samruddhi Expressway corridor of Maharashtra's prosperity, says CM Fadnavis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday inaugurated the final 76-km-long stretch of the Samruddhi Mahamarg, making the entire 701-km Mumbai-Nagpur corridor fully functional and reducing travel time between the two cities from around 18 hours to just 8 hours. Fadnavis described the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Mahamarg as an "engineering marvel", stating that this "economic corridor" would play a vital role in the state's development. By connecting the expressway with the proposed Vadhvan Port, the state plans to develop it into a major economic route. He also mentioned that a Smart Integrated Traffic Management System (ITMS) would be installed soon. Fadnavis announced that the Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL) has been given the right of way to lay a gas pipeline along the road from Konkan to Nagpur to Gadchiroli, ensuring industries — including the upcoming Gadchiroli Steel City — will use gas as fuel. He called it both a moment of joy and an "accomplishment of a dream" for the Mahayuti government. The expressway connects 24 districts of Maharashtra with Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) and will soon connect to Vadhvan Port as well. Currently, the expressway sees a monthly frequency of 10 lakh vehicles, a number expected to rise. Fadnavis expressed satisfaction that the project both started and was completed under the Mahayuti leadership, with all top leaders — the CM and two Deputy CMs — present. He also announced that the proposed Shaktipeeth Expressway would spur economic growth in Marathwada, with work beginning soon. Deputy CM Eknath Shinde hailed the Samruddhi Mahamarg as a "game changer" and urged citizens to follow traffic rules. Deputy CM Ajit Pawar noted the project cost had escalated to ₹61,000 crore from ₹55,000 crore. At the start of his speech, Pawar humorously referred to Shinde as the CM before correcting himself, drawing smiles from the crowd. He emphasized that this was CM Fadnavis's dream project — begun during his first term and completed during his second — something rarely achieved. He added that even initial critics later gave land and benefited from compensation. The inauguration at Igatpuri, about 140 km from Mumbai, was attended by Fadnavis, the Deputy CMs, and Ministers Dada Bhuse, Shivendraraje Bhosale, and Narhari Zirwal. Following the ceremony, Fadnavis inspected the longest tunnel and viaduct on the stretch. For the inspection, Deputy CM Shinde drove a high-end car with CM Fadnavis in the front passenger seat and Pawar in the back. The drive lasted 45 minutes from Igatpuri to Amane. On the return trip, Fadnavis drove while Shinde moved to the passenger seat. Pawar humorously remarked that he was observing Shinde's driving and praised the smooth journey, joking that 'we couldn't use the insurance cover.' The third creek bridge near Vashi (on the Sion-Panvel Highway) was also inaugurated via video conferencing. With the inauguration of the final Igatpuri-Amane stretch, the full six-lane 'Hindu Hridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg' is now open to traffic, the MSRDC confirmed. The journey from Nagpur to Mumbai, which used to take 17–18 hours, now takes just 8. The expressway's final phase will benefit pilgrims from the Thane-Mumbai region traveling to Shirdi, and enable farmers in Shirdi, Ahilyanagar, Sinnar, and Igatpuri to transport produce to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region more efficiently. The Samruddhi Mahamarg connects with the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, JNPT, and major tourist destinations like Shirdi, Ajanta-Ellora Caves (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar), and Lonar Lake (Buldhana). Phase 1 (520 km): Nagpur to Shirdi — Inaugurated on Dec 11, 2022 by PM Narendra Modi Phase 2 (80 km): Shirdi to Bharvir Interchange — Inaugurated on May 26, 2023 Phase 3 (25 km): Bharvir to Igatpuri — Opened on March 4, 2024 The expressway passes through 392 villages, 26 talukas, and 10 districts: Nagpur, Wardha, Amravati, Washim, Buldhana, Jalna, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Ahilyanagar, Nashik, and Thane.