24 July,2024 08:11 AM IST | Mumbai | Ranjeet Jadhav
The final 76-km stretch between Igatpuri and Amane in Thane is nearing completion. File Pic/Ashish Raje
Motorists heading to Nashik and Nagpur have reason to celebrate as the Samruddhi Mahamarg is set to open in the coming months. The final 76-km stretch between Igatpuri in Nashik and Amane in Thane is nearing completion, promising a smoother journey.
A Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) official associated with the Samruddhi Mahamarg project said, "The work on the 76-km long stretch of Samruddhi Mahamarg between Igatpuri and Thane is progressing at a fast pace and is expected to be ready by August and might be opened for traffic in September."
"There is a 2-km-long bridge on this stretch which will take little more time for the completion and so it will be opened in November-December. The delay in opening of this bridge will not have any impact on the traffic
flow at all," he added.
At present, the Samruddhi Mahamarg stretch from Nagpur to Igatpuri is operational for traffic and so the motorists going from Mumbai towards Nagpur have to take the old Mumbai-Nashik Highway up to Igatpuri before taking the Samruddhi Mahamarg. With the opening of the 76-km-long stretch between Igatpuri and Amane near Thane, motorists will be able to avoid the Kasara Ghat and the heavy traffic on old Mumbai-Nashik Highway.
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The MSRDC has also undertaken road widening of the 23.05-km-long stretch of the old Mumbai-Nashik Highway between Thane and Vadpe. Owing to the heavy traffic frequently witnessed on this stretch, it sometimes takes over two hours to cross the distance. According to MSRDC officials, the work will be completed on this stretch by February or March next year.
The Samruddhi Mahamarg is an important infrastructure project linking Maharashtra's economic and agricultural hubs. The 701-km expressway passes through three varied habitat types, starting from the dry deciduous forests near Nagpur, grasslands in the middle section, and the Western Ghats near the end of the expressway near Mumbai.
