Another 25-km stretch of Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Mahamarg, between Bharvir village and Igatpuri town in Nashik district will be opened to traffic by February.
“Only girder laying of the vehicular over bridge (VOB) is pending. All other major works have been completed on this 25-km stretch. We are aiming at opening it to traffic by February,” reports Indian Express, quoting Kailash Jadhav, Joint Managing Director (JMD) of Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC).
The 25-km Bharvir-Igatpuri segment incorporates a mix of elements, including a flyover, bridges, VOB, twin tunnels spanning 300 metres each, and a junction with the old Mumbai-Nashik Highway. The construction of the VOB posed a significant challenge due to the constant traffic on the six-lane road beneath the bridge.
Officially named ‘Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg,’ the 701-km six-lane expressway connects Nagpur to Mumbai via Thane district, with the current operational stretch covering 600 km.
The first phase, a 520-km stretch connecting Nagpur to the temple town of Shirdi in Ahmednagar district, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2022.
In the second phase, an 80-km stretch between Shirdi and Bharvir village in Igatpuri taluka in Nashik district was inaugurated on 27 May 2023, by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
With the opening of the 25-km stretch, the Nashik district portion of work will be completed, and only Thane district work will remain to be done.
The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation, responsible for supervising the project, aims to operationalise the final 76-km stretch till Amane, creating a connection to Mumbai by July 2024.