Mumbai to Nagpur: The Samruddhi Express is Ready!

The Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Expressway, spanning 701 km, has been fully completed. The final 76-km section, running from Igatpuri to Amane in Thane district, is finished, with only final tasks like tree planting and crash barrier installation expected to be completed by mid-March.

The project was led by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) with the collaboration of 16 construction firms. Vehicular movement is set to begin next month across the entire stretch, pending state government approval. The expressway passes through 10 districts and required the acquisition of 8,861 hectares of land.

One of the project’s key challenges was constructing a 7.7-km tunnel through the Western Ghats between Igatpuri and Kasara, along with complex viaducts in Igatpuri and Thane. The project, initiated in 2019, faced delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Phase 1, from Nagpur to Shirdi, was inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi in December 2022. Additional stretches, from Shirdi to Bharvir in May 2023 and a 25-km stretch to Igatpuri later that year, were also completed.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.