Final stretch of Samruddhi Mahamarg to be inaugurated on June 5

Samruddhi Mahamarg. Pic/ Kunal Chaudhari

Good news awaits motorists as the much-anticipated final stretch of the Samruddhi Mahamarg - connecting Igatpuri in Nashik to Amane near Bhiwandi - is set to be inaugurated on Thursday, June 5.

Spanning 76 kilometres, this section marks the completion of the ambitious 701-kilometre Mumbai-Nagpur expressway.

Officially titled the Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg, the last leg was originally scheduled to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in early May. However, the event was delayed due to heightened security concerns following the April 22 attack in Pahalgam.

Mumbai-Pune Expressway: Work on 'missing link' is 95 per cent complete

The work on the much-awaited ‘missing link' project on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway has reached 95 per cent completion, the officials had said last month during a project review meeting chaired by Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde held.

The final stage involving the construction of the tallest bridge in the project was now underway, an official statement had earlier said.

At a review meeting held at Sahyadri Guest House in Mumbai, Eknath Shinde instructed engineers and officials to carry out the final bridge work with utmost care and no compromise on quality.

"This is a critical phase. The tallest bridge must be built with continuous safety testing, especially considering wind pressure and height," Shinde said.

The review meeting was attended by Education Minister Dadaji Bhuse, Soil and Water Conservation Minister Sanjay Rathod, Minister of State for Public Works Meghna Bordikar, Deputy CM's Principal Secretary Naveen Sona, and Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation Limited (MSRDC) Managing Director Anil Gaikwad, among other senior officials, the statement said.

The 13.3 km-long 'missing link' is divided into Packages 1 and 2.

The final stage focuses on constructing a high-altitude bridge, which will significantly improve travel time, it said.

Once completed, the new link is expected to reduce travel time between Mumbai and Pune by 20 to 25 minutes.

Shinde emphasised that no shortcuts should be taken, especially with safety and testing.

"Work must be tested at every level," he said.

The missing link project is seen as a major step towards easing congestion and improving road safety on one of busiest expressways in the state.