Mumbai: Maharashtra's flagship infrastructure project, the Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg, will be fully operational from Thursday as the final 76-km stretch between Igatpuri in Nashik and Amane near Thane is set to be inaugurated. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar will likely preside over the inaugural ceremony at Igatpuri.
Details On The Final Stretch Of Samruddhi Expressway
The last phase of the ambitious 701-km expressway, connecting Nagpur to the outskirts of Mumbai, has been built at a cost of Rs 1,182 crore by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) in collaboration with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
This stretch traverses the treacherous Kasara Ghat, majorly reducing travel time and improving safety. A journey that previously took over 90 minutes through the winding ghat section will now take just 30–40 minutes. With the full expressway open, travel between Nagpur and Thane will be cut to about eight hours, half the earlier duration.
However, despite the expressway now being physically complete, access remains limited for motorists from Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai. This is due to the ongoing construction of the crucial Vadpe interchange, which will link the Samruddhi Mahamarg with the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway and the national highway network, enhancing connectivity to Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) and beyond. The Vadpe connector is expected to be completed only by mid-2026.
Until then, Mumbai-bound vehicles will access the expressway via a temporary route near Shangrila Resort on the Mumbai-Nashik Highway, close to Bhiwandi. This stopgap solution is expected to continue for at least another year, according to reports quoting MSRDC officials.
According to an Indian Express report, future plans include additional interchanges from urban centres like Kalyan, Dombivli, Badlapur, Vasai, Virar, Panvel and Navi Mumbai to improve regional connectivity. Work is also underway to expand the 21.6-km stretch of the Mumbai-Nashik Highway from Vadpe to Majiwada in Thane from four to eight lanes, easing traffic congestion caused by heavy commercial vehicles.
The completed Samruddhi Mahamarg is expected to majorly boost logistics, tourism and regional development. Notably, it will offer faster access to religious destinations like Shirdi and enable quicker movement of agricultural produce from interior districts to Mumbai and its metropolitan region.
