News Brief
Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway Now Fully Operational With Inauguration Of Final 76 Km Stretch
(Credit: @CMOMaharashtra/X)
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday (5 June) formally inaugurated the final leg of the Mumbai–Nagpur Expressway, officially named the Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg.
The grand ceremony was also attended by Deputy Chief Ministers Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde, along with senior project officials.
With the opening of this 76 km stretch between Igatpuri in Nashik and Amane in Thane, the ambitious 701 km six-laned access-controlled corridor is now fully operational.
Constructed at a cost of Rs 1,182 crore, jointly funded by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), this final segment marks a significant engineering feat.
It includes three key interchanges at Igatpuri, Kutghar (Shahapur), and Amane, and features a 7.8 km road tunnel that dramatically eases the climb through the Western Ghats by reducing elevation from 450 metres to 160 metres.
The new route has slashed travel time between Igatpuri and Amane from 90 minutes to 40, enhancing both convenience and connectivity.
Envisioned by Fadnavis during his earlier tenure, the Rs 55,000 crore project had initially met with resistance over land acquisition.
More than 100 underpasses and overpasses have been built along the corridor to safeguard wildlife movement, complemented by noise barriers designed to minimise environmental disruption.
Additionally, 18 smart industrial townships are under development along the expressway, poised to stimulate economic growth and generate employment opportunities throughout Maharashtra.
This project stands as a transformative infrastructure venture, spanning 10 districts and 390 villages, and comprising 33 major bridges, 274 minor bridges, 65 flyovers, and six tunnels.
Earlier phases of the expressway were inaugurated between December 2022 and March 2024 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former CM Eknath Shinde, and ex-MSRDC Minister Dada Bhuse.
