Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Mahamarg: 25-Km Bharvir-Igatpuri Stretch Set to Open On 4 March

Another 25-km stretch of Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Mahamarg, between Bharvir village and Igatpuri town in Nashik district will be opened to traffic on 4 March, reports the Indian Express.

Initially slated for a mid-February opening, pending minor works have pushed the deadline back, prompting the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) to revise the opening date to 4 March, reads the report.

The 25-km stretch between Bharvir and Igatpuri features various elements such as a flyover, bridges,  vehicular over bridge (VOB), twin tunnels each spanning 300 metres, and a junction linking to the old Mumbai-Nashik Highway, making it one of the most intricate parts of the expressway, as per the MSRDC.

Formally known as the 'Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg,' the six-lane expressway spans 701 kilometres, linking Nagpur, the winter capital, to Mumbai, the financial hub, via Thane district.

Currently, 600 kilometres of the expressway is operational. The first phase, a 520-kilometre stretch connecting Nagpur to the temple town of Shirdi in Ahmednagar district, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2022.

On 27 May 2023, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis inaugurated the second phase of the project, covering an 80-kilometre stretch from Shirdi to Bharvir village in Igatpuri, Nashik district.

With the completion of the 25-kilometre segment, the Nashik district section of the project will conclude, leaving only the work in the Thane district pending.

The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation, overseeing the project, aims to finalise the remaining 76 kilometres up to Amane, establishing a link to Mumbai by July 2024.

Currently, the longest expressway in the country, it traverses 10 key districts of the state and indirectly connects 14 others, establishing a seamless connection between Maharashtra's eastern region and the economic mainstream western region.

Styled as ‘Samruddhi Mahamarg’ (Prosperity Corridor), the expressway connects economic hubs, including the country’s largest container port Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) in Mumbai and the upcoming international airport in Navi Mumbai.