Maharashtra's Highway Vision: CM Eknath Shinde Seeks To Explore German Autobahn Model For State’s Road Network

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, along with a few ministers and officials from various departments, are planning to visit Berlin, Germany to explore the Autobahn, the federal controlled-access highway system.

The delegation led by Shinde is expected to make the trip to Berlin in the first week of October, reports Hindustan Times.

The purpose of the visit is to study the design, management, and maintenance of the highways in order to replicate these practices in Maharashtra's upcoming roads, such as the Samruddhi Expressway, the coastal road network and several highways that are in pipeline for the state, said the CMO officials.

The German Autobahn – officially known as the Bundesautobahn – continues to hold its status as one of the most renowned road systems and prime driving routes for several reasons, including its celebrated unrestricted stretches.

The Autobahn is an extensive network of high-speed, limited-access freeways, which spans throughout Germany, covering a vast distance of approximately 8,073 miles and connecting all major cities in the country.

Shinde, who was previously the Minister of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation during the construction of the Samruddhi Expressway, has long desired to visit the Autobahn highway system.

In addition, CM Shinde is also scheduled to attend the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Maharashtra.

The signing ceremony will take place in London on 3 October 2023, and aims to bring Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's iconic tiger's claws (wagh nakhe) to Mumbai. These claws were used as a weapon to kill Afzal Khan, the general of the Bijapur Sultanate, in 1659.

The state government has reached out to the Indian Embassy in Germany to arrange the visit, and the final date is expected to be confirmed in the next few days.