Nitin Gadkari approves road works of ₹1.5L crore for Maharashtra
What's the story
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has approved a massive ₹1.5 lakh crore for road projects in Maharashtra. The announcement was made during the centenary celebration of the Vidhan Parishad at Vidhan Bhavan on Saturday. The projects, which are part of ongoing National Highway development, will start within three months, with some expected to be completed by 2026, the Minister of Road Transport and Highways said.
Project details
Major infrastructure projects to improve connectivity
Among the major projects are a new Pune-Sambhajinagar expressway and an elevated road in Pune. The expressway, costing ₹16,318 crore, will be built by the Maharashtra State Infrastructure Development Corporation (MSIDC), and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been processed in that regard. It will cut travel time between Pune and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar to two hours, and between Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Nagpur to two-and-a-half hours.
Additional developments
Elevated road and other projects in Pune
Meanwhile, the Talegaon-Chakan-Shikrapur Elevated Road, costing ₹4,207 crore, will also be constructed soon. Its bhoomipoojan (groundbreaking) ceremony will be held after the local body elections, the Nagpur MP announced. The Detailed Project Report (DPR) process for the Hadapsar-Yavat Elevated Road is currently underway, and work on it will begin post-elections.
Regional investment
₹50,000 crore approved for Pune region road works
Gadkari also announced that ₹50,000 crore has been approved for road works in the Pune region. Construction is expected to begin within three months. A new parallel expressway to the existing Pune-Mumbai route will be built at an estimated cost of ₹15,000 crore. This will bring down travel time between Pune and Mumbai to one-and-a-half hours.