Work on the proposed six-lane expressway between Mumbai and Nagpur is expected to start soon. Also, 3,839 km of state highways are set to be widened and improved into national highways.
The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has announced Rs.35,000 crore to build the 850 km Mumbai-Nagpur expressway. The toll road will reduce road travel time between the cities to 10 hours from the current 17-18 hours. This would also be an hour less than the time taken by the Nagpur Duranto Express, which offers the fastest surface connectivity to Nagpur. The government has plans to set up information technology (IT) parks, smart cities and high-grade educational institutions along the expressway route.
The Centre gave an in-principal approval to develop the road after agreements were signed between Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari and state public works department (PWD) minister Chandrakant Patil. “The Centre will issue funds and the state PWD will develop the road. The agreement has facilitated the preparation of a detailed project report (DPR) over the next two months, following which the procedure to appoint contractors will be started,“ Patil said. Sources said the Mumbai-Nagpur expressway will have bypasses for cities and towns along the route and may get a magnetic levitation train (Maglev) along the route in the future. It can bring Mumbai and Nagpur three to four hours closer.
The Union transport ministry has also given in-principle approval to convert 3,839 km of state highways into national highways.This will facilitate the state getting Rs.2,500 crore from the Centre's quota for the development of roads.
According to Patil, the state has 2.8 lakh km of roads across the state, out of which over 10,000 km are in the possession of the NHAI.“The addition of another 3,839 km from regions like Marathwada, Vidarbha, Khandesh, Western Maharashtra and Konkan will strengthen the road network within the region and between major destinations falling in these regions,“ said PWD sources.
A preliminary study for the expressway project has already been made. It will be built along the existing two lane road via Ghoti, Sinnar, Aurangabad, Jalna, Karanja and Wardha. Presently, road travel to Nagpur is either via the Nashik, Dhule, Jalgaon and Amravati route, or the Ahmednagar and Jalna route. Beyond Dhule and Jalna, the route is a narrow two-lane road, and witnesses several mishaps. According to sources, the expressway will have wi-fi points and will reduce fuel consumption, and thus pollution.
Construction will be in phases. Contractors will be appointed for the different phases of the road, which may get ready by September 2020 if all works out as planned. The first expressway in the state was built in 2000 by the state PWD at a cost of about Rs.2,500 crore.
The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has announced Rs.35,000 crore to build the 850 km Mumbai-Nagpur expressway. The toll road will reduce road travel time between the cities to 10 hours from the current 17-18 hours. This would also be an hour less than the time taken by the Nagpur Duranto Express, which offers the fastest surface connectivity to Nagpur. The government has plans to set up information technology (IT) parks, smart cities and high-grade educational institutions along the expressway route.
The Centre gave an in-principal approval to develop the road after agreements were signed between Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari and state public works department (PWD) minister Chandrakant Patil. “The Centre will issue funds and the state PWD will develop the road. The agreement has facilitated the preparation of a detailed project report (DPR) over the next two months, following which the procedure to appoint contractors will be started,“ Patil said. Sources said the Mumbai-Nagpur expressway will have bypasses for cities and towns along the route and may get a magnetic levitation train (Maglev) along the route in the future. It can bring Mumbai and Nagpur three to four hours closer.
The Union transport ministry has also given in-principle approval to convert 3,839 km of state highways into national highways.This will facilitate the state getting Rs.2,500 crore from the Centre's quota for the development of roads.
According to Patil, the state has 2.8 lakh km of roads across the state, out of which over 10,000 km are in the possession of the NHAI.“The addition of another 3,839 km from regions like Marathwada, Vidarbha, Khandesh, Western Maharashtra and Konkan will strengthen the road network within the region and between major destinations falling in these regions,“ said PWD sources.
A preliminary study for the expressway project has already been made. It will be built along the existing two lane road via Ghoti, Sinnar, Aurangabad, Jalna, Karanja and Wardha. Presently, road travel to Nagpur is either via the Nashik, Dhule, Jalgaon and Amravati route, or the Ahmednagar and Jalna route. Beyond Dhule and Jalna, the route is a narrow two-lane road, and witnesses several mishaps. According to sources, the expressway will have wi-fi points and will reduce fuel consumption, and thus pollution.
Construction will be in phases. Contractors will be appointed for the different phases of the road, which may get ready by September 2020 if all works out as planned. The first expressway in the state was built in 2000 by the state PWD at a cost of about Rs.2,500 crore.
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