Samruddhi Mahamarg's Final 76 Km Stretch To Open By August End, Reducing Travel Time To 40 Minutes

The last week of August will reportedly mark the opening of the final 76 km stretch of the Samruddhi Mahamarg from Igatpuri to Amane in Thane, providing commuters between Mumbai and Nashik with a faster travel option.

This new section is expected to cut travel time by nearly an hour, enabling the journey to be completed in around 40 minutes.

Anil Kumar Gaikwad, Vice-Chairman & Managing Director of the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), said that the new highway will allow commuters to bypass the old Kasara Ghat, with a speed limit set at 120 kmph.

“The travel time from Igatpuri to Shangrila Resort in Thane, covering a 76 km stretch, will be reduced to just 40 minutes," Gaikwad said, Indian Express reported.

The current journey time is around 1.5 hours or more due to the ghat section on the old Mumbai-Nashik Highway.

The new stretch of the Samruddhi Mahamarg will feature a twin tunnel and a viaduct passing through a valley, ensure a smoother drive with normal gradient terrain and no sharp curves unlike the old highway.

While the bridge at Shahapur is still under construction, one arm of the four-lane bridge (Nagpur to Mumbai) is expected to be completed by the end of August and opened to traffic.

Two lanes will be used for traffic from either direction until the second arm of the bridge (Mumbai to Nagpur) is completed in another couple of months.

The construction of the bridge, 82 metres in height and two kilometre long, is challenging due to the surrounding forest, according to Gaikwad.

Gaikwad said that the traffic from Nagpur to Mumbai, currently merging at Igatpuri, will merge at Shangrila Resort in Thane once the bridge opens.

Additionally, traffic from the existing Nashik-Mumbai expressway will be diverted to the Samruddhi Mahamarg, ensuring smoother vehicle flow, he added.

According to MSRDC, the 701 km-long Samruddhi Mahamarg currently has 625 km stretch open for traffic from Nagpur to Igatpuri.

This stretch sees an average of 30,000 vehicles daily, with a toll collection of Rs 2 crore per day.

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