The inauguration ceremony, held on Thursday afternoon in Igatpuri which is around 140 km from Mumbai, was attended by Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, along with state ministers Dada Bhuse, Shivendraraje Bhosale, and Narhari Zirwal
The Samruddhi Expressway features a speed limit of 120 km/h on plains and 100 km/h in ghat sections. It spans 392 villages, 26 talukas, and 10 districts across five revenue divisions. Pic/X
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday inaugurated the final 76-kilometre stretch of the Samruddhi Mahamarg, completing the 701-kilometre Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway.
The inauguration ceremony, held on Thursday afternoon in Igatpuri which is around 140 km from Mumbai, was attended by Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, along with state ministers Dada Bhuse, Shivendraraje Bhosale, and Narhari Zirwal.
The newly opened stretch connects Igatpuri in Nashik district to Amane in Bhiwandi taluka of Thane district, making the entire six-lane corridor fully operational.
The expressway, officially named the Hindu Hridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg, is now expected to be open to traffic shortly, according to the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC).
The final stretch will reduce travel time between the two cities from around 18 hours to just eight.
Following the inauguration, CM Fadnavis inspected the expressway’s longest tunnel at Igatpuri and the adjoining viaduct.
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🗓️ 05-06-2025
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Deputy CM Eknath Shinde drove a high-end vehicle with CM Fadnavis beside him and Ajit Pawar in the back seat during a 45-minute inspection ride between Igatpuri and Amane. On the return trip, CM Fadnavis took over the driving, reported then PTI.
During the event, the newly constructed third creek bridge near the Vashi-Sion-Panvel Highway was also inaugurated via video conference.
According to the MSRDC, the now-complete expressway will cut down travel time from Nagpur to Mumbai to eight hours via this new greenfield route -- compared to the previous 17-18 hours on older roads.
Until now, 625 kilometres of the expressway were operational and had been used by nearly two crore vehicles.
The Samruddhi Expressway features a speed limit of 120 km/h on plains and 100 km/h in ghat sections. It spans 392 villages, 26 talukas, and 10 districts across five revenue divisions.
The final phase is expected to benefit pilgrims travelling from the Mumbai–Thane region to Shirdi in Ahilyanagar, while farmers from regions like Shirdi, Sinnar, and Igatpuri will gain faster access to markets in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, according to the PTI.
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The expressway also connects with key infrastructure and destinations, including the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) in Navi Mumbai, and tourist sites like Shirdi, Ajanta–Ellora Caves (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar), and Lonar Lake (Buldhana).
The project, constructed at an estimated cost of Rs. 55,000 crore, was opened in phases:
Phase 1 (520 km) from Nagpur to Shirdi was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 11 December 2022.
Phase 2 (80 km) from Shirdi to Bharvir Interchange began operations on 26 May 2023.
Phase 3 (25 km) from Bharvir to Igatpuri opened on 4 March 2024.
The Samruddhi Mahamarg now stands as one of India’s most modern and longest expressways, enhancing connectivity, reducing travel time, and promoting regional development across Maharashtra.
(with PTI inputs)
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