June 9, 2025:The final 76-kilometre segment of the 701-km Hindu Hridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg, connecting Igatpuri in Nashik to Amane in Thane, has been inaugurated, completing the long-awaited Mumbai–Nagpur expressway. Officials from the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) confirmed that travel time between Mumbai and Nagpur will now be reduced to just eight hours, down from the previous 17–18 hours via traditional routes.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, along with Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, presided over the ceremony near Igatpuri. A newly constructed creek bridge in Thane was also inaugurated virtually during the event.
The expressway, allowing speeds of up to 120 km/h on flat terrain and 100 km/h through hilly sections, posed engineering challenges in its final phase, traversing the Sahyadri ranges. This stretch includes Maharashtra’s longest and widest tunnel at Igatpuri—spanning 8 km in length, 17.61 metres in width, and 9.12 metres in height—with India’s first integrated fire-fighting system for such infrastructure.
The final phase also features five twin tunnels (totalling 10.73 km), 17 major valley viaducts (spanning 10.56 km), and three key interchanges. Some viaduct piers reach 84 metres in height. The phase also required significant realignment of electrical lines and a new railway overbridge.
Pilgrims to Shirdi, farmers transporting perishables from Nashik and Ahilyanagar, and tourists heading to Ajanta-Ellora or Lonar Lake are expected to benefit greatly. The expressway links economic corridors such as the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway and major ports including Jawaharlal Nehru Port.
Costing Rs 55,000 crore and spanning 392 villages across 10 districts, the expressway is expected to bolster employment, reduce fuel use, enhance cargo flow, and accelerate Maharashtra’s infrastructure-led development.
Source: Prop News Time
