Maharashtra Government Greenlights Rs 84,000 Crore Shaktipeeth Expressway Project

As the Samruddhi Mahamarg approaches its final stages of completion, the Maharashtra government has cleared the way for the Shaktipeeth Expressway by granting approval for its alignment.

The 802-km-long Maharashtra Shaktipeeth Expressway is poised to link Pavnar in Vidarbha's Wardha district to Patradevi in Konkan's Sindhudurg district on the Goa-Maharashtra border.

Spanning across 12 districts — Wardha, Hingoli, Nanded, Parbhani, Beed, Latur, Dharashiv, Sholapur, Sangli, Kolhapur, and Sindhudurg — the expressway will seamlessly integrate with the proposed Mumbai - Goa expressway at Patradevi.

First announced by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in September 2022, the project's alignment received approval through a government resolution on 7 February 2024.

The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), known for spearheading numerous major infrastructure projects throughout the state, has been entrusted with the the crucial task of executing the project.

Upon completion, the Shaktipeeth Expressway will rank among the longest greenfield expressways in India, alongside the Delhi-Mumbai and Samruddhi Expressway.

Honoring Maharashtra's vibrant pilgrimage heritage, the proposed expressway will link two of the 12 jyotirlingas — Aundha Nagnath and Parl — as well as temples dedicated to Renuka in Mahur, Tuljabhavani in Tuljapur, along with the revered Vitthal Rakhumai temple of Pandharpur and Dattatreya Sampradaya shrines at Audumbar and Narsobachi Wadi.

As a result, the Rs 84,000 crore project has fittingly been dubbed the 'Maharashtra Shaktipeeth Expressway'.

Moreover, this greenfield expressway will offer an alternative route to Goa from the state's second capital, significantly cutting down travel time between Nagpur and Goa to approximately seven hours, compared to the current 21-hour journey.