Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the first phase of the 701-km long ‘Hindu Hrudayasamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg’ on December 11. The 839 km distance from Nagpur to Mumbai, which typically takes 17 hours to cover, will be reduced to seven hours on the new expressway, built at a project outlay of ₹55,335 crore. It runs past 392 villages across 10 districts.
Said to be the brainchild of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who represents the Nagpur South West Assembly constituency, the expressway is expected to aid Maharashtra’s economy by decongesting transport logistics. This six-lane access-controlled road, designed for a top speed of 150 kmph, is the second expressway in the State after the Mumbai-Pune Expressway.
Speaking to The Hindu, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that the Prime Minister will inaugurate the completed stretch from Nagpur to Shirdi on December 11.
“The expressway will have direct links to the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust in Navi Mumbai, which will facilitate rapid transportation of goods, agricultural products and other resources from Maharashtra to various markets across the country and abroad as well,” Mr. Shinde said.
The remaining stretch of 181 km will be completed in the next six months, Mr. Fadnavis said. “I feel that this expressway will bring samruddhi (prosperity) to Vidarbha, Marathwada and entire Maharashtra,” he said. A new economic corridor will come up along the expressway, and 14 districts will be integrated and connected to the port through it, he added.
Quick facts
The ‘Samruddhi Corridor’ is expected to directly impact about 36% of the State’s population residing along the expressway, and will be the country’s most extensive ‘greenfield’ route alignment with 23.65 lakh saplings and over 11 lakh trees on both sides.
“Over 8,800 hectares land required for the project was acquired by a mix of direct purchase method and acquisition by consent within a time-frame of nine-12 months. The government has disbursed ₹8,003.03 crore as compensation,” an officer with Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) said.
The expressway passes through three wildlife sanctuaries — 29.6 km passes through the Katepurna Wildlife Sanctuary in Akola; 29.15 km via the Karanja-Sohol Black Buck Sanctuary in Washim; and 44.975 km through the Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary in Thane.
“All environment, forest and wildlife clearances were taken before starting the civil work on the ground. We have partnered with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) to scientifically address the issues of concern for the protection of wildlife across the length. Based on WII’s suggestions, wildlife mitigation measures are planned, and necessary structures like underpasses are built for uninterrupted wildlife movement,” the officer said.
According to data shared by MSRDC, there are 209 underpasses for animals and pedestrians, and eight underpasses and eight overpasses for wildlife movement. The expressway will include an intelligent highway management system for traffic surveillance along with CCTV cameras, and free telephone booths installed at an approximate distance of five kilometres on the expressway for quick reporting of mishaps or emergencies.
The State government is confident that the “mahamarg” will generate massive direct and indirect employment opportunities, and workers migrating to big cities in search of employment will find jobs near their hometowns.
