The long-awaited four-laning of the 355-km Mumbai-Goa highway in Maharashtra has seen its estimated cost rise sharply to Rs 16,909.22 crore, nearly 48% above the original sanctioned amount, according to information obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
Data secured by RTI activist Jeetendra Ghadge from the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways covers 10 four-laning packages of NH-66 in Maharashtra. The records show that around Rs 11,577 crore has already been spent, exceeding the original sanctioned cost of Rs 11,409.14 crore, even though several portions remain unfinished.
One of the largest cost increases has been reported on the Parshuram Ghat-Arawali package in the Chiplun-Ratnagiri region, where the sanctioned cost has risen from Rs 1,983 crore to Rs 2,226 crore.
For motorists, the concern extends beyond rising expenditure. Several stretches still have incomplete roadwork, bottlenecks and construction-related disruptions, affecting one of the principal road links between Mumbai and the Konkan region.
The Centre began widening the highway in phases in 2011. Government records have cited land acquisition issues, pre-construction delays, statutory clearances and financial difficulties faced by contractors among the reasons for repeated delays.
The project has also faced judicial scrutiny. In January 2024, the Bombay High Court noted that prolonged delays in NH-66 widening and repair work had caused hardship to commuters and increased the burden on the state exchequer.
Ghadge has questioned responsibility for the project’s prolonged delays.
“When a project of this scale has remained incomplete for nearly 15 years despite thousands of crores being sanctioned and spent, the government must answer a basic question who is ultimately accountable for the delay?” Ghadge said.
The highway becomes especially congested during Ganeshotsav, when large numbers of Mumbai residents travel to Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg. Journeys that normally take around seven hours can become considerably longer because of unfinished sections and traffic bottlenecks.
Meanwhile officials clarified that, “Panvel to indapur, 84 Km stretch was started in 2011 by NHAL while Indapur to Zarap 355 km in 10 packages was started in 2018 by MoRTH through NH PWD as their agency.”
Repeated completion targets have also shifted over the years, keeping commuters uncertain about when the full four-lane corridor will provide a smoother and more predictable journey.
Source: Times of India
