Mumbai-Nagpur expressway: The Samruddhi Mahamarg is one of the most awaited expressways in Maharashtra. Also known as Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway, the 6-lane wide 701-km long expressway will connect Mumbai to Nagar. It will reduce the travel time between the two cities to just 8 hours by reducing the 100 km distance.
Although the first phase of the expressway from Nagpur to Shirdi, a distance of 520 km, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December last year, its remaining 181 km corridor will soon be open to people.
In this regard, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis recently said that the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Mahamarg would be completed within the next six months, Times Now reported.
“Our government has opened the Nagpur-Shirdi stretch of the expressway. The phase II of the project (Shirdi-Sinnar) would be inaugurated soon. Within the next six months, the remaining part of the expressway (Sinnar-Mumbai) would be completed,” Fadnavis said.
The expressway will travel through 10 key districts -- Nagpur, Wardha, Amravati, Washim, Buldhana, Jalna, Aurangabad, Nashik, Ahmednagar and Thane. It will also pass through 14 other districts indirectly via feeder roads, 24 talukas, and 392 villages.
READ | Virat Kohli hits first Test century in over three years, netizens say 'genius at his work'
The expressway is designed for a top speed of 150 kmph, however, its legal speed limit remains at 120 kmph for cars and 80 kmph for trucks. This makes it the fastest road network in the country. With this, it will cut down the travel time between the two cities to eight hours from the present 16 hours.
The total cost of the project is Rs 55,335 crore including the land acquisition cost. This also includes 5 flyovers, 33 major bridges, 274 minor bridges, 8 railway overbridges, 25 interchanges, 6 tunnels, 189 underpasses and other things.
The Mumbai-Nagpur expressway will also connect with Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor, Bengaluru-Chennai Economic Corridor, Western Dedicated Freight Corridor and others.