Commuters to Zip Past Kasara Ghat as Final Stretch of Samruddhi Mahamarg, Last 76 km of to Open Soon
Commuters to Zip Past Kasara Ghat as Final Stretch of Samruddhi Mahamarg, Last 76 km of to Open Soon
The final section of the Hindu Hruday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg is set to open in August, significantly reducing travel time.
Starting from the last week of August, commuters traveling between Mumbai and Nashik, and beyond, will benefit from a new, faster route. With the opening of the Samruddhi Mahamarg’s remaining stretch of 76 km from Igatpuri to Amane in Thane, this new highway will allow travelers to bypass the old Kasara Ghat. Commuters will be able to cover this distance in around 40 minutes, saving close to one hour.
Vice-Chairman & Managing Director of the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), shared with news agency that the new highway will permit travel at a speed limit of 120 kmph. While the bridge at Shahapur is still under construction, one arm of the four-lane bridge (Nagpur to Mumbai) will be completed by August end and opened to traffic. Two lanes each will be used for traffic from either direction until the second arm (Mumbai to Nagpur) is finished in a couple of months.
The bridge, 82 meters high and two kilometers long, is situated in a forested area. This factor makes the construction phase challenging. Once the bridge opens, traffic from Nagpur to Mumbai, currently merging at Igatpuri, will merge at Shangrila Resort in Thane. Additionally, traffic from the existing Nashik-Mumbai expressway will be diverted to the Samruddhi Mahamarg. This will ensure smoother vehicle movement.
The MSRDC is also expanding the old Mumbai-Nashik Highway, covering a 23.5 km stretch between Vadpe and Majiwada in Thane. Officials mentioned that 60% of the work has been completed, with the project expected to be finished by February next year. This stretch experiences heavy traffic, but the work is progressing rapidly. The project includes constructing the Kalwa creek bridge, Kasheli bridge, approach roads, and eight underpasses.
The project involves building a new four-lane cement concrete (CC) road using the Right of Way (ROW) of 30 meters on both sides of the existing Mumbai-Nashik Highway. Once completed, the existing four-lane bitumen road will be converted into a CC road, and additional 2+2 service roads will be constructed on both sides. The total cost of the project is estimated at Rs 1,182 crore. This development is part of the traffic dispersal plan for the Samruddhi Mahamarg connecting Mumbai.
According to MSRDC, of the 701-km Samruddhi Mahamarg, the 625 km stretch from Nagpur up to Igatpuri town is currently open for traffic, with an average of 30,000 vehicles using the route and generating Rs 2 crore in toll collection per day.
