PM Modi opens 1st phase of Mumbai-Nagpur ‘high-tech’ expressway. Check details
The first phase of the Nagpur-Mumbai 'Samruddhi Expressway' was inaugurated on Sunday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It connects the city of Nagpur to the temple town of Shirdi in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district, covering a distance of 520 kilometres. The project, which is called 'Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg', will have a total length of 701 kilometres.
The project was first conceptualised in 2015 and is a brainchild of Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Once the entire project is completed, the expressway will reduce the travel time from Nagpur to Mumbai to seven hours, from the initial 18 hours. It is being built at a cost of about ₹55,000 crore and passes through 10 districts in the state.
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The project is further expected to improve the connectivity of 14 adjoining districts, and play a key role in the development of about 24 districts, including the regions of Vidarbha, Marathwada and North Maharashtra. It is said to be one of the country's longest expressways. Later, it will also be connected to the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, which is expected to be completed next year, as well as to Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust and some tourist attractions such as Ajanta-Ellora Caves, Shirdi, and Lonar, among others.
Fadnavis took to Twitter to share various pictures of the expressway, and wrote, “Yes yes this is India, Yes it’s Maharashtra too! Now, guess the common thing in all the pics!" Various people from Nagpur expressed their gratitude to the PM for inaugurating and initiating various developmental projects.
The expressway will have several features including EV charging stations at regular intervals. It will have a speed limit of 150 kms which will bring down travel time from Mumbai to Aurangabad to just four hours. Some of the features of the expressway are tunnel lighting and improved street lighting, along with digital signage throughout.