Samruddhi Expressway To Connect Bhiwandi Soon: Igatpuri-Amane Stretch Nears Completion

Motorists may soon have a smoother journey between Mumbai and Nagpur, as the long-awaited connection to the Samruddhi Expressway from Bhiwandi is expected to be operational by March this year, according to a Hindustan Times (HT) report. The 76-kilometre stretch between Igatpuri and Amane, near Bhiwandi, is nearing completion, and officials from the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) have stated that work will be finished by the end of this month.

According to an MSRDC official, lane-marking and painting works, which are done only after all other construction is completed, are already in progress. These finishing touches are scheduled for completion between February 25 and 27, after which the expressway will be ready for public use. The inauguration is planned for March, depending on the availability of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar.

At present, motorists can access the expressway from Igatpuri near Nashik to Nagpur, covering a distance of 625 kilometres. Initially, authorities had considered partially opening the Igatpuri-Amane stretch in November-December 2024. However, delays in forming the state government and distributing ministerial portfolios led to a change in plans. Instead, officials decided to complete all pending work before opening the stretch fully.

The Samruddhi Expressway, officially known as the Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg, has been gradually opened in phases. On December 11, 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a 520-kilometre section between Nagpur and Shirdi. Later, on May 23, 2023, then Chief Minister Eknath Shinde inaugurated a 105-kilometre stretch from Shirdi to Bharvir. Another 25-kilometre section from Bharvir to Igatpuri was made accessible to motorists on March 4, 2024 without any formal inauguration.

The expressway will connect with the under-construction Mumbai-Vadodara Expressway at Amane. This highway extends to the Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Mumbai on one end and Gujarat on the other. For the time being, a temporary arrangement is in place to allow vehicles to travel between the Mumbai-Nashik Highway and the Samruddhi Expressway.

First announced in November 2015, construction of this greenfield access-controlled highway began in February 2019 and was divided into 16 packages. Toll collection has been authorised for 40 years. Although the expressway is regarded as a significant infrastructure project, many motorists have raised concerns about the lack of roadside amenities. Travellers find it challenging to locate eateries along the route, and they believe food courts at regular intervals would provide much-needed rest stops and help drivers stay alert during long journeys.