Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway will be better than German autobahn: Maha CM Shinde

Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday said that the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will be better than German autobahns. The PM inaugurated the first phase of the project, which will connect Nagpur and Shirdi covering a distance of 520 km. The expressway project has been named after Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray.

The specialty of German autobahns is that they are famous for not having speed limits on most of the stretches. "This Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg will prove to be better than autobahns of Germany," Shinde said at the inauguration.

At every 40–50 km of interval on the expressway, there will be roadside amenities like food plazas and rest areas along with electric vehicle charging stations. (Image: Twitter/Devendra Fadnavis)

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At every 40–50 km of interval on the expressway, there will be roadside amenities like food plazas and rest areas along with electric vehicle charging stations. (Image: Twitter/Devendra Fadnavis)

The project will have a total length of 701 kilometres and is being built at a cost of about ₹55,000 crore and passes through 10 districts in the state. 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.

(Also see more pics of India's most hi-tech expressway)

It is said to be one of the country's longest expressways, and is expected to improve the connectivity of 14 adjoining districts, as well as play a key role in the development of about 24 districts, including the regions of Vidarbha, Marathwada and North Maharashtra.

The Mumbai-Nagpaur Expressway 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. It will also be connected to some tourist attractions such as Ajanta-Ellora Caves, Shirdi, and Lonar, among others.

The expressway is expected to be a game-changer in providing a major boost to economic development of Maharashtra, a government release said. “These projects give a holistic vision of infrastructure in the state. It's a proof of how fast the double engine government in Maharashtra and at the Centre is working," he said.