Infrastructural development is a fundamental part of a country’s overall progress, which is why the Maharashtra government has always emphasised in strengthening its infrastructural facilities. Leading from the front in this development is the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC). Be it the Pune-Mumbai Expressway or the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, MSRDC’s projects have always been trendsetters in the country’s infrastructural development. The rapid construction of the Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg, connecting Nagpur to Mumbai, has once again highlighted the unmatched standards of the corporation’s engineering excellence.
The first phase of the Samruddhi Highway from Nagpur to Shirdi, mapping a distance of 520 km, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 11 December 2022. The second phase of the highway, covering a total distance of 80 km, from Shirdi (Kokamthan) in Ahmednagar district to Bharveer Interchange in Nashik district, was inaugurated by Eknath Shinde, the then chief minister, while the third phase of the highway, covering a length of 25 km, from Bharveer Interchange to Igatpuri, was inaugurated on 4 March 2024. About 625 out of the total 701 km of the highway is now operational and, so far, 13.3 million people have travelled on the Samruddhi Mahamarg. The final 76 km of the highway (Igatpuri to Aamne) has also been made operational now.
“The 701 km Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg is not just a highway,” says Anilkumar Gaikwad, vice-chairman & managing director, MSRDC. “It is a transformative corridor of prosperity for the state. Having been associated with this monumental infrastructure project since its inception, witnessing its completion feels like seeing a dream take shape in concrete and steel. The highway project is an engineering marvel, featuring some of the country’s largest tunnels, towering viaducts, and pioneering solutions like animal overpasses and underpasses – truly a milestone in India’s infrastructure history”.
The final stretch of 76 km of the highway passes through Nashik and Thane districts. Here, MSRDC has successfully tackled the engineering challenges posed by the tough Sahyadri mountains. There are five tunnels in this phase, with a total length of 11 km. Out of these, the 8 km tunnel at Package 14 (Igatpuri) is the longest in Maharashtra. This tunnel will help cover the distance from Igatpuri to Kasara in about eight minutes.
Tackling engineering challenge
The final phase of the project passes through hilly regions experiencing heavy rainfall due to which construction of viaducts (valley bridges) and tunnels was a big challenge. There are a total of 15 viaducts in this phase, with a total length of 11 km.
This six-lane greenfield highway passes through 392 villages in 26 talukas of 10 districts of the state’s five revenue divisions. This expressway connecting Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) in Mumbai to Mihan in Nagpur will enable fast transportation and timely delivery of essential goods from JNPT across India. Based on domestic and foreign investment, this project has proven to be of utmost importance for the rural areas of Maharashtra.
As the final stretch of 76 km becomes operational now, the journey from Nagpur to Thane (Aamne) towards Mumbai will be completed in eight hours. Along with this, the journey for devotees travelling to Shirdi from Thane and Mumbai will become easier and faster. Additionally, transportation of agricultural produce to Mumbai for farmers from Kopargaon, Shrirampur, Sangamner areas of Ahmednagar district and Sinnar and Igatpuri areas of Nashik district will also become faster.
Justifying the prime minister’s integrated planning and infrastructure connectivity projects, this highway connects the Delhi Mumbai Expressway, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, religious places in Shirdi and the hill stations at Ajanta, Verul Caves, Lonar Lake and Igatpuri. This time and fuel-efficient highway will also develop agriculture, tourism, communication, industry sectors and generate employment on a large scale.