Maharashtra: PM inaugurates Phase I of Samruddhi Mahamarg

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the 520kmlong NagpurShirdi Phase I of the Balasaheb Thackeray Samruddhi Mahamarg Phase II between Shirdi and Mumbai is expected to be operational in less than a yearPM Modi along with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari Chief Minister Eknath Shinde Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis Union Minister Raosaheb Danve Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari along with other leaders and ministers from Maharashtra were in Nagpur for the inauguration and bhoomipujan of several projectslsquoEfficient double enginersquoThe PM also flagged off the Vande Bharat Express between Nagpur and Bilaspur Speaking on the occasion the PM congratulated the people of Nagpur on the inauguration of the Nagpur Metrorsquos Phase 1 Modi said that the opening of the ambitious project between Nagpur and Shirdi is an example of the efforts of his government delivering top quality infrastructureHe also said ldquoThe way in which infrastructure projects are getting completed also proves the fact that the double engine sarkar is efficiently running at a fast pace The Samruddhi Mahamarg will not just reduce the distance between Nagpur and Mumbai but also provide 24 districts with modern facilities This highway will also be helpful for the development of agriculture and the industrial sector and will help devotees to quickly reach several pilgrimage places along the routerdquoHe also alleged that some political parties are trying to destroy the countryrsquos economy and people should expose such politicians and parties He appealed to all political leaders to focus on sustainable development instead of shortcut politics and said that one can win elections with sustainable developmentAlso read Investment in infrastructure made Singapore Gulf States global economic hubs PM ModiAll challenges metTalking on the occasion CM Eknath Shinde said that he was happy to have the expressway named after Balasaheb Thackeray ldquoWhile implementing the project we faced many challenges including opposition for land acquisition people were told to oppose the project but despite all the challenges we did the land acquisition in record timerdquoShinde also said this ecofriendly highway would help maintain the ecological balance as over 11 lakh trees will be planted and 250 mega watt solar energy will also be generated Shinde also said that this project is not just a highway but a game changer and phase II between Shirdi and Mumbai will be open in less than a yearDy CM Fadnavis said ldquoThe Samruddhi Mahamarg between Nagpur and Mumbai will help in the economic growth of the region The land acquisition for the 700kmlong project was completed in record time of nine months without a single litigation The land securitisation and monitisation model brought by our PM will help us generate Rs 50000 crore in two years from this project and that money will be spent on developing other infrastructure projects in the state We also have kept space on the highway for a railway and have plans to run a semihigh speed cargo rail on the sameAbout the Mahamarg In order to facilitate easier travel between the cities of Nagpur the second capital of Maharashtra and Mumbai former CM Devendra Fadanvis announced the construction of the NagpurMumbai Super Communication Expressway Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg in 2015 MSRDC was to construct this greenfield expressway After a detailed survey and project report the total project cost of Rs 55335crore was approved The cost was funded by raising the debt of Rs 28000crore from a consortium of domestic lending institutions led by SBI The lionrsquos share of Rs 8000crore debt was funded by SBI The travel time for the 701km distance between Nagpur and Mumbai will be reduced by 67 hours and 10 districts will be connected directly to Mumbai by an accesscontrolled expressway MSRDC constructed 100 structures to facilitate easy movement of wildlife across the expressway The HSP Highway Safety Police have set up 15 traffic aid posts TAPs along the expressway At least 21 ambulances 21 quick response vehicles 15 cranes of 30 MT each and 15 patrolling vehicles are deployed The expressway will promote tourism as it connects locations like Shirdi Verul Lonar Lake Ajanta Ellora Aurangabad Jyotirlingas of Trimbakeshwar and Ghrushneshwar Panchvati Hill station at Igatpuri etc It is expected that after completion of this project people will find employment near their hometowns and this may help stem migration It is planned to open the entire balance stretch of the expressway for traffic in less than a year