Maharashtra is set to see the completion of several mega projects that have been in the works for some time. These projects include major infrastructure developments, and other initiatives that are expected to have a significant impact on the state and its citizens. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently lauded Maharashtra for the pace of development it has achieved and stated the infrastructure development in Maharashtra is definitely a benchmark for other states which are working to improve the road and expressway network. Here are some of the most notable upcoming mega projects nearing completion in Maharashtra in the coming years…
Mumbai Trans Harbour Sea Link Project
On 12th January 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the country’s longest bridge over the sea – the 22 km Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, officially the Atal Setu Nhava Sheva Sea Link. The Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) is a 22-km-long twin-carriageway six-lane bridge over the Thane Creek in the Arabian Sea, connecting Sewri in the island city of Mumbai to Chirle in Raigad district on the mainland. The MTHL includes a 16.5 km sea link and viaducts on land at either end with a cumulative length of 5.5 km.
The bridge has cut the travel time between Sewri, Mumbai and Chirle, Raigad to under 20 minutes and cut travel time to Navi Mumbai by 40 minutes. For those living in Navi Mumbai, the Mumbai-Trans-Harbour-Link is a much-awaited lifeline. This 22-kilometer bridge connects Sewri in South Mumbai to Nhava Sheva in Navi Mumbai, reducing travel time significantly. For all the people traveling from Navi Mumbai to South Mumbai, this bridge will save them a significant amount of travel time and will decongest the existing route over the Vashi bridge.
The objective of the project is to improve connectivity in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region which comprises the districts of Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, and Raigad, and promote the region’s economic development.
The MTHL will also provide faster connectivity to the Mumbai-Goa highway, Mumbai-Pune expressway, Navi Mumbai International Airport as well as the JNPT port.
Mumbai Coastal Road
Mumbai Coastal Road Project (MCRP), a 29.2 km long access-controlled expressway that links areas in South and North Mumbai. It aims to ease traffic congestion and cut travel time; currently, it takes around two hours to travel from
the western suburbs to South Mumbai. When finished, the stretch would cut the distance between the two locations in half, to 40 minutes. By 2024, this ambitious project will be a reality, revolutionizing the city’s transportation system.
Inauguration of Phase 1 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 19th February 2024
The MRCP’s project’s Phase 1 (Southern Section) (between Marine Drive and Bandra Worli Sea Link was opened for traffic on the 19th of February 2024. It includes an elevated road, twin tunnels through the Malabar Hills, a sea wall/breakwater wall, a bridge on stilts, new open spaces, an eight-lane road reclaimed from the sea, and various interchanges for traffic dispersal.
Phase 2 of this ambitious project entails building a northern extension between Bandra and Kandivali via Versova, including of a 9.6 kilometers Bandra-Versova Sea Link with connectors to Bandra (1.17 kilometers), Carter Road (1.8 kilometers), and Juhu Koliwada (2.8 kilometers).
Versova-Bandra Sea Link
The Versova-Bandra Sea Link (VBSL) is an under construction bridge project in Mumbai. Versova, a neighbourhood in the Andheri area, will be connected to the Bandra-Worli Sea Link through the 17.17-kilometer (10.67-mile) bridge as part of the Coastal Road. Once the VBSL project gets completed, the Western Express Highway and the Western Line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway will experience less congestion. The estimated cost of Mumbai Coastal Road Project is around Rs 12,500 Crore.
Senapati Bapat Marg New Bridge
To connect the Fishermen Colony on Senapati Bapat Marg in Mahim with the Western Express Highway in Bandra (E), the BMC has released a tender for a Rs 238 Crore bridge. When completed, it will definitely help to significantly reduce congestion at the WEH.
Airoli-Katai Tunnel Road
For those living in Navi Mumbai and beyond, the Airoli-Katai Tunnel Road is a game-changer. The 1.7-kilometer Tunnel Road is part of a longer 33.8-kilometer road that runs from Airoli to Katai Naka on the Kalyan-Shilphata road. This road goes through areas with mangroves, valleys, flyovers, and railway lines.
The Airoli-Katai Tunnel Road is set to bring a significant transformation to the daily lives of residents in Dombivli East, the Kalyan-Shil road area, and Navi Mumbai. This road will cut down travel time by around 30-40%, making commuting much quicker. Additionally, it will offer convenient access to the industrial zones in Badlapur and Bhiwandi and provide swift connections to Mulund and various other Mumbai suburbs.
Dombivli-Mankoli Flyover
The Dombivli-Mankoli Bridge or Motagaon Mankoli Bridge is a crucial infrastructure project for people living in the Kalyan-Dombivli belt. Currently, there are two routes from Dombivli to Mumbai. The first is from Dombivli-Mumbra-Thane-Mulund-NH3-Mumbai Fort.
The Second is the Dombivli-Kalyan-Bhiwandi-Bypass-NH3-Mumbai. Both routes are heavily congested. Traveling from Dombivli to Kalyan can take as long as two hours during peak traffic hours.
Hence, this bridge will ease the traffic issues and, most importantly, it will reduce commuting time from Dombivli to Thane to just half an hour. The six-lane bridge is being constructed on the creek between Motagaon in Dombivli and Mankoli on the Bhiwandi side.
Virar Alibaug
Multipurpose Highway
The 126-km multi-modal corridor will connect Alibaug to Virar (Navghar). Two sections of the corridor’s construction are currently under way: from Virar (Navghar) to Chirner (79 km), and from Chirner to Alibaug (47 km). Through a techno-economic feasibility study, the MMRDA has already completed initial plans, and these are now being included in the Regional Transport Road Map.
Along with the major traffic lanes, the Rs 9,326 Crore corridor would contain designated lanes for buses, two-wheelers, and non-motorized transportation.
The 126 km long multi-modal corridor from Navghar in Virar to Chirner in Uran is an important route connecting several national highways, Navi Mumbai International Airport, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link (MTHL), Delhi-Mumbai dedicated freight corridor and Revas Port.
The corridor includes rapid bus transit, metro rail, water supply lines, gas lines and sewage lines and will be developed in two phases: 79 km Phase 1 from Navghar to Chirner near JNPT and 47 km Phase 2 from Chirner to Alibaug.
The multi-modal corridor will be a crucial step towards development, strengthening and creating job opportunities in seven growth centres in MMR such as Virar, Bhiwandi, Kalyan, Dombivali, Panvel, Taloja and Uran.
This corridor will carry all the traffic from JNPT towards Navi Mumbai and Thane outside the city and will help reduce traffic congestion within the city. The travel time between Virar to Alibaug required today will also be reduced by 50 per cent.
To be built at an estimated cost of Rs 40,000 Crore, the project is expected to be finished by 2026.
Mumbai Nagpur
Expressway
The Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg, also known as the Nagpur-Mumbai Super Communication Expressway, is a partially completed, access-controlled, 701 Km long six-lane wide (and extensible to eight-lanes) expressway in Maharashtra, India. It is one of the nation’s longest greenfield expressway projects and will link the state’s two major cities, Capital city Mumbai, and Nagpur city. The project was completed in May 2023. The overall cost of this project is around Rs 55,000 Crore.
The Samruddhi highway will be expanded and a four-lane highway will be constructed from Sindkhedaraja node to Shegaon. While Sindkhedraja is the birthplace of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s mother Jijabai, Shegaon is known for Gajanan Maharaj Sansthan.
Upto January 2023, about 90 per cent of work was completed on the eight-lane expressway. Out of this, the 520 km long Nagpur-Shirdi stretch of Samruddhi Mahamarg was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2022. Over 10 lakh vehicles have used the highway by February 2023, said the budget document.
Mumbai Goa Konkan
Expressway
Konkan Expressway is a 450 km long, six-lane, access-controlled expressway connecting Panvel (Navi Mumbai) and Sindhudurg via Raigad and Ratnagiri, planned by MSRDC.
The projected greenfield expressway will link the three districts of Raigad, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg while running parallel to the Maharashtra coastline. The expressway is anticipated to cut the existing 6-7 hour travel time between Mumbai and Sindhudurg to roughly three hours. The estimated cost of this project will be roughly around
Rs 70,000 Crore.
Mumbai-Pune Expressway – Missing Link
The budget has made a provision of Rs 6,695 Crore for the construction of the missing link between Khopoli and Khandala on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. The road will connect Khalapur Toll Booth point with Kusgaon, bypassing the expressway’s entire ghat (hill) section. The 13.3-kilometre missing link has two tunnels with lengths of 1.67 kilometres and 8.92 kilometres as well as a bridge at a height of 180 metres. The plan follows world class safety measures and has the world’s widest tunnel. As of now, 75 per cent of the work is complete and it is expected to be ready by September 2024. Once open to traffic, the missing link will prevent bottlenecks at Khandala, providing for a seamless travelling experience. The project is proposed to make the expressway a “zero-fatality corridor”.
Nagpur Vijayawada
Expressway
The development of the Vijayawada-Nagpur Express Highway, which will improve Andhra Pradesh’s connectivity with Maharashtra, has been approved by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). A 457 km stretch of roads would be built at a cost of Rs 140 billion, according to the NHAI.
Vidarbha in Maharashtra will be connected by the Vijayawada-Nagpur Express Highway in an effort to speed up the transportation of commercial and agricultural cargo.
Mumbai Indore
Expressway
On the Delhi-Mumbai expressway, a 173-kilometer section is being built to connect Indore and Garod. The longest expressway in India will soon reach Indore, improving connectivity. India’s longest highway is being extended out to Dewas, Ujjain, and Garod in order to improve connectivity.
Pune Ring Road
Pune Ring Road has been undertaken in order to reduce the traffic congestion in Pune city. It plans to allow vehicles from different regions of the state to traverse through the Pune city without using its arterial highways, the 170 km long Pune ring road will aid in reducing traffic congestion. The ring road project has been divided into the eastern and the western zones. The eastern zone of the ring road would pass through Mawal and Kelawade. The western zone of the ring road would be via Bhor, Haveli and Mulshi talukas of the district. It will be a six-lane express expressway (with potential for expansion) with a 120 kph vehicle speed limit. Without factoring in the cost of purchasing the land, the anticipated construction cost of this mega project is around
Rs 17,412 Crore.
The Pune Ring Road will bypass 29 villages of Pune. And it links to major highways such as Pune-Satara, Mumbai-Pune-Solapur, Pune-Nashik & Pune-Ahmednagar maximizing the connectivity options to other locations.
Nagpur Goa Shaktipeeth Expressway
The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) is working on several infrastructure projects, including the Shaktipeeth Expressway, which will be the longest and most ambitious project among them. The Shaktipeeth Expressway which is named after a seat of power, is planned to be 760 kilometers long, making it longer than the Nagpur-Mumbai Expressway one of the longest in India. It will connect 11 districts in the Vidarbha, Marathwada, and Konkan regions, including Wardha, Yavatmal, Hingoli, Nanded, Parbhani, Latur, Beed, Osmanabad, Solapur, Kolhapur, and Sindhudurg, which is on the border of Maharashtra and Goa.
The Shaktipeeth Expressway will also pass through several religious and spiritual centers in Maharashtra, such as Sevagram, Karanja Lad, Mahur, Aundha Nagnath, Nanded’s Takhat Sachkand Gurdwara, Parli-Vaijnath, Ambajogai, Tuljapur, Pandharpur, and Kunkeshwar. The Expressway will technically begin in Pavnar, Wardha district and end at Patradevi on the border of Maharashtra and Goa. The expected cost of this project is estimated roughly as
Rs 75,000 Crore
The 760 km Nagpur-Goa Expressway will run from Pawanar in Wardha district to Patradevi in Sindhudurg district, connecting four shaktipeethas — Mahur, Tuljapur, Kolhapur and Ambejogai. This highway passing through six districts namely Hingoli, Nanded, Parbhani, Beed, Latur and Dharashiv will give strong support to the economy of Marathwada. It will also boost the development of Wardha, Yavatmal, Solapur, Sangli, Kolhapur and Sindhudurg districts.
Also called Maharashtra Shaktipeeth Highway, the greenfield expressway will also connect two Jyotirlingas — Aundha Nagnath in Hingoli district and Parli Vaijnath, Takht Sachkhand Shrihajur Sahib Gurdwara at Nanded and Maharashtra’s reigning deity Vitthal Rukhmai at Pandharpur.
Nagpur Hyderabad
Bengaluru Expressway
The projected Nagpur-Hyderabad-Bengaluru Expressway will link Nagpur in Maharashtra, Hyderabad in Telangana, and Bengaluru in Karnataka across a distance of 1,100 km. Costs for the project are projected to be Rs 35,000 Crore.
Nagpur Outer Ring Road
The 119 km long outer ring road that circles Nagpur, Maharashtra, is still under development. Between NH 44 (to the south of the city) and NH 56 (to the east of the city), a portion of the route is already open for traffic. Work orders have been issued by India’s National Highways Authority (NHAI) for the completion of the final 61 km of the line.
The estimated cost of this project is around Rs 1,170 Crore.
Revas-Reddi Coastal Highway
The Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority has granted clearance for the expansion of a major portion of the Revas-Reddi Coastal Highway in India. The expansion will involve increasing the number of lanes from two to four and will be carried out by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation. The project aims to improve the existing road and boost the tourism industry. The work of the coastal highway from Revas in Raigad district to Reddi in Sindhudurg district is currently underway. The Revas-Reddi Coastal Highway, named as Maharashtra State Highway 4 (MSH-4) is being built at an estimated cost of Rs 9,573 Crore.
The expansion of a major portion of Revas-Reddi Coastal Highway (MSH-4), from two lanes to four, has been cleared by the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA). The CRZ clearance has been presently granted for Package II in Ratnagiri —out of four — which starts from Bankot and terminates at Jaigad near Jindal Thermal Power plant, passing through Kelshi, Dapoli, Guhagar and Vijaygad. The expansion is being carried out by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC).
Currently, there is no through road from Maharashtra border to Goa border along the coastline. The MSH-4 coastline road is available in a segmental manner due to long creeks. Due to this discontinuity, road users or tourists have some restrictions to plan their trips. To avoid such difficulties and to provide a boost for tourism industry, it is necessary to improve the existing MSH 04 by constructing creek bridges all along the Maharashtra coastline as a top priority.
Delhi Mumbai Expressway
The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway with a total length of 1350 km passes through various States such as New Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra. It is one of the most significant upcoming infrastructure projects in Maharashtra and is estimated to cost around Rs 1,00,000 Crore. The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway project is now expected to be completed by October 2025. The usual travel time between Delhi and Mumbai is 24 hours. However, over the completion of this expressway, the travel time between these locations will be reduced to 12 hours.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an event recently showered praise on Maharashtra for the pace of development it has achieved. He has underlined that the infrastructure development in Maharashtra is definitely a benchmark for other States which are working to improve the road and expressway network. Maharashtra has set a significant “development benchmark” for all other States of the country.
