The final 76-kilometer stretch of the Samruddhi Mahamarg in Thane district, Maharashtra, is nearing completion and is expected to be open for traffic by the end of August. This milestone marks the full operationalization of the 701-kilometer expressway, the longest in the country. The Thane segment includes 16 bridges and four tunnels, with the Khardi bridge, standing at 82 meters, being the tallest on the expressway. Despite the technical challenges posed by the hilly terrain and the complex bridge construction, the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) is working diligently to ensure the project's timely completion. Once fully operational, the Samruddhi Mahamarg will provide a seamless link between Nagpur and Mumbai, transforming the transportation landscape of the state.
The final 76-kilometre stretch of the Samruddhi Mahamarg in Thane district is nearing completion and is expected to be open for traffic by the end of August, according to a senior official from the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC). With the completion of this stretch, the entire 701-kilometre Samruddhi Mahamarg corridor will be fully operational.
The official explained that the Thane segment includes 16 bridges and four tunnels, with only one bridge still under construction. This bridge, located in Khardi in Thane district, is the tallest on the Samruddhi Mahamarg, standing at 82 metres, equivalent to the height of a 27-story building. The bridge spans two valleys, making the construction particularly complex. Additionally, the 76-kilometre stretch traverses' hilly terrain.
The longest span on the Khardi bridge measures 140 metres. Due to the height and wind speed, the construction work is being carried out with extra caution to ensure safety, the official emphasized.
Currently, 625 kilometres of the Samruddhi Mahamarg is open to traffic. The first phase, covering 520 kilometres between Nagpur and Shirdi, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2022. The second phase, from Shirdi to Bharvir, was inaugurated by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in May 2023. Earlier this year, an additional 25-kilometre stretch in the Nashik district, between Bharvir and Igatpuri town, was also opened to traffic.
The official further stated that the lowest bidders have been selected for the extension of the Samruddhi Mahamarg to Gadchiroli, Gondia, Jalna, and Nanded, and work orders for these projects will be issued soon.
While the expressway is designed to be six lanes wide, it will temporarily narrow to four lanes at the Khardi bridge. The official also noted that the entire expressway has three lanes on each side. Traffic to Mumbai is expected to start by August, with only the bridge section having a four-lane road, featuring two operational lanes in each direction. This is a temporary arrangement, and the plan is to open the remaining lanes of the bridge for traffic by November, thus making the entire expressway a six-lane project.
Formally known as the 'Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg,' this 701-km expressway links Nagpur, the winter capital, to Mumbai, the financial hub, via Thane district. It is currently the longest expressway in the country, spanning 10 key districts and indirectly connecting 14 others, providing a seamless link between Maharashtra's eastern and western regions.
The Maharashtra government has proposed developing additional connectors or access-controlled expressways to link major districts to the Samruddhi Mahamarg, including the 179.85-km Jalna-Nanded expressway, the Nagpur-Gondia, and the Nagpur-Chandrapur expressways. These three expressways will further improve road travel connectivity between Mumbai and the remote parts of the state.
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