News Brief
Rs 20,787 Crore, 800-Km Shaktipeeth Expressway To Link 12 Districts Gets Maharashtra Cabinet Nod; Will Cut Nagpur–Goa Travel Time To 8 Hours
Map of Maharashtra (X) (File Photo)
In a major decision, the Maharashtra state cabinet on Tuesday (24 June) gave the green light to the Maharashtra Shaktipeeth Highway project.
The Rs 20,787 crore high-speed corridor will span 802.6 km, linking 12 districts across the state—from Pawanar in Wardha district to Patra Devi near the Maharashtra-Goa border in Sindhudurg.
Chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the cabinet meeting approved the expressway as a critical infrastructure and cultural initiative.
“This highway is an attempt to connect the Shakti Peethas of Maharashtra, and the aim is to achieve tourism, transport and rural development,” the official statement read.
Once complete, the route is expected to reduce travel time from Nagpur to Goa from 18 hours to just 8.
It is also set to connect religious landmarks such as Mahur, Tuljapur, Kolhapur, and Ambejogai, as well as revered sites like Aundha Nagnath, Parli Vaijnath, Pandharpur, and pilgrimage towns associated with the Datta tradition including Karanja-Lad, Akkalkot, Ganagapur, Narsobachi Wadi, and Audumbar.
A major financial boost comes from a Rs 12,000 crore loan sanctioned by HUDCO, allocated for land acquisition, which will cover approximately 7,500 hectares.
The project will be executed by the Maharashtra Road Development Corporation (MRDC), with plans to eventually integrate the highway into the Konkan Expressway for seamless coastal connectivity.
