Nagpur: The full stretch of Samruddhi Mahamarg, the dream project of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, is expected to be completed in January. The work on the last leg, which connects Nashik to Mumbai, is under way. The expressway has small diversions on the stretch where it meets the Vadodara-Mumbai Expressway connecting the JNPT.
With work going on at full swing, it is hoped that the entire stretch of the expressway will be completely ready in January, the vice-chairman-cum-managing director of Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), Anilkumar Gaikwad, told TOI.
The roadway, which connects the state's capital with Nagpur — the second capital — was envisaged with a cost of Rs55,000 crore. "As the work nears completion, the total cost is estimated to come to around Rs63,000 crore after counting the escalation. The cost may have gone up, but it is in line with the expected escalation for a project of this scale. The cost does go up with time and it is certainly within the limit," said Gaikwad.
The project is being funded with a 50:50 mix of debt and equity, said the officer. At present, the daily toll collection stands at Rs2 crore on average.
The Samruddhi Mahamarg was mooted when Fadnavis became the chief minister for the first time. The contracts were awarded around 2019, leading to the start of the construction work.
The expressway, which starts from the Shiv Madka village in Nagpur, ends at the Amane village in Thane district. The biggest advantage is that it would decrease the travel time from Nagpur to Mumbai to eight hours. At present, it takes around 16 to 14 hours, depending on the mode of surface travel.
According to the MSRDC's projections, the project is expected to directly impact 36% of the entire state's population residing along the expressway. It is estimated that 30,000 to 35,000 vehicles would use the expressway on a daily basis.
The Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) is also laying a gas pipeline along the expressway. Work on the gas pipeline is expected to be completed by March. The natural gas supplied through the pipeline would be made available for industrial, automobile, as well as domestic use, said sources. The plan is to also develop new townships along the expressway to create a network of industrial centres.