Mumbai-Goa Highway: Concretisation from Panvel to Kasu complete, traffic allowed towards Konkan for Ganeshotsav
The total design length of the Mumbai-Goa highway is 460 km (Panvel – Indapur – Zarap-Patradevi). The 84 km stretch between Panvel and Indapur is with the NHAI and the remaining portion of the highway is with the state government-led National Highway Public Works Department (NH PWD).
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80% of the work has been completed and the Mumbai-Goa highway is expected to be ready by the end of the year. (Representational Photo) Ahead of Ganeshotsav, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has thrown one side of the 42 km stretch of the Mumbai-Goa highway from Panvel to Kasu in Raigad district open to traffic. The NHAI has undertaken work on a total 84 km of the highway and divided it into two packages – Panvel to Kasu (42 km) and Kasu to Indapur (42 km).
An NHAI official said 38 km of the stretch from Panvel to Kasu has been concretised and the remaining 4 km is mostly part of a bridge and flyover. Some parts of the road are undergoing the process of curing whereby the stretches are being watered regularly (This is done to strengthen the road surface). Steel slags have been placed on the bridge and the flyover as a temporary measure for vehicles to ply.
Further, an additional 10 km of the other package up to Nagothane in Raigad district has been made pothole-free. White topping and Cement Treatment Base (CTB) have been applied to make the road motorable, informed the official.
Therefore, commuters can now use the highway from Palaspe Junction in Panvel to Nagothane and traverse the distance in under one hour.
JM Mhatre Infra Pvt Ltd was allotted the work order of Package 1 (Panvel to Kasu) amounting to Rs 151 crore, whereas Kalyan Toll Infra was given the work order of Package 2 (Kasu to Indapur) in November 2022.
As per an NH PWD official, the 355.28 km stretch from Indapur to Zarap has been divided into 10 packages. (Express Photo)
Previously, Supreme Tollways Pvt Ltd had been given the work order to construct the entire 84 km (Panvel to Indapur) of the Mumbai-Goa highway in 2011 and it was scheduled to complete the work by 2014. However, various challenges like land acquisition and utility shifting hampered work. All issues were resolved in 2014 but then the company faced financial issues. Although the NHAI gave a financial aid of Rs 550 crore to the contractor, the latter spent Rs 500 crore and completed the construction of the 42 km (2+2 lane) stretch from Panvel to Kasu in Package 1, and laid only 20 km of bituminous road in Package 2. In 2021, the NHAI terminated the services of the contractor for failing to finish the highway work on time.
The contractor moved the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court to oppose the termination, but both courts passed orders in favour of the NHAI. The NHAI then appointed the two new contractors in 2022.
The total design length of the Mumbai-Goa highway is 460 km (Panvel – Indapur – Zarap-Patradevi). The 84 km stretch between Panvel and Indapur is with the NHAI and the remaining portion of the highway is with the state government-led National Highway Public Works Department (NH PWD).
As per an NH PWD official, the 355.28 km stretch from Indapur to Zarap has been divided into 10 packages. Package 1 is 26.75 km (Indapur to Wadpale), Package 2 is 38.76 km (Wadpale to Bhogaon), Package 3 is 8.957 km (Bhogaon Khurd to Kashedi Ghat), Package 4 is 42.43 km (Kashedi Ghat to Parshuram Ghat), Package 5 is 35.45 km (Parshuram Ghat to Aarwali), Package 6 is 39.24 km (Aarwali to Kante), Package 7 is 49.15 km (Kante to Waked), Package 8 is 32.258 km (Wakad to Talegaon), Package 9 is 38.38 km (Talegaon to Kalmath) and Package 10 is 43.905 km (Kalmath to Zarap).
Overall, 80 per cent of the work has been completed and the highway is expected to be ready by the end of the year.
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