PM Modi inaugurates phase-1 of Samruddhi Mahamarg. Here’s how it will benefit commuters

According to Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), which is the implementing authority of the expressway, the remaining stretch of 181 km will be completed by July 2023, completing the entire 701 km between Nagpur and Mumbai.

The total cost of the project has been estimated at Rs 55,335.32 crore. Of this 88.19 per cent of financial progress has been attained to date, as per MSRDC. For road-widening and interchanges, 88,61.02 hectares were acquired for which Rs 8,008.97 crore was paid as compensation, the agency said.

PM Modi takes a ride on the Nagpur-Shirdi stretch on Sunday. PTI

Samruddhi Mahamarg construction work was divided into 16 packages. Package 1 to 13 was supposed to finish in 30 months, 14 to 16 in 36 months and, as per the timeline, the road was expected to be fully ready by September 2022. However, due to Covid, the project got delayed.

Samruddhi Mahamarg will have 73 flyovers and viaducts, of which 52 are ready. Similarly, there will be 32 big bridges, of which 31 are ready. Out of these, eight will be rail overbridges, of which six are ready. There will be 317 small bridges, of which 308 are ready. Elevated corridors, tunnels and interchanges are part of the expressway.

Key aspects

Multi-utility corridor

Expressing his gratitude for the support lent by Modi for Samriddhi Mahamarg, Fadnavis said Rs 50,000 crore will be indirectly earned through the expressway in the next two years and the money can be used for other infrastructure works.

Fadnavis said Samruddhi Mahamarg is a good example of the Gati Shakti scheme implemented by the central government and announced that as part of the multi-utility corridor plan, gas pipelines, petroleum product pipelines, cables and high-speed railway lines will come up alongside it.

“It can also be used for building data centres. Solar energy will also be generated here and this project is going to be enriched by many such aspects. Railway stations in the city are being equipped. Many projects like railways, roads and high speed trains are going on along the route,” Fadnavis said.

He also announced that Nagpur-Goa highway will be constructed soon and the quest of creating a multi-modal connectivity is nearing completion and that soon Modi will be invited to inaugurate the ground-breaking ceremony of the new airport in Nagpur.

“While connecting the districts of the state with the major port, Maharashtra is being developed from a multifaceted perspective with ‘portaled’ development and the PM will soon be invited to inaugurate the ground-breaking ceremony of the new airport in Nagpur. Both Metro Phase-II and Nag River Pollution Decontamination projects in Nagpur city were stalled for some time, but the approval was given in just 35 days at the initiative of the Prime Minister’s Office,” he said.

Protection of wild animals

For Samruddhi Mahamarg, MSRDC has constructed 84 underpasses and overpasses for the protection of wild animals at Rs 326 crore. The expressway passes through 117-km wildlife habitats in Nagpur, Wardha, Amravati, Washim and Buldhana districts of Vidarbha, tiger corridors, eco-sensitive zones of Tansa, Katepurna and Karanja Sohol wildlife sanctuaries. Noise barriers have also been installed.

Tree plantation

Nearly 33.64 lakh big and small trees and creepers will be planted on both sides of the expressway. While 11.31 lakh trees will be planted along the corridor, rest will be shrubs and creepers. Samruddhi Expressway will thus be a green corridor, a veritable longest linear man-made forest. For beautification, over Rs 694 crore will be spent and the plantation will be done in four years, as per the MSRDC.

Public transportation system

With the PM inaugurating phase-1 of Samruddhi Mahamarg, motorists can use the expressway from Monday and will have to pay toll tax while exiting it. Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) is also planning to run bus services on the expressway on specific routes.

An MSRTC official said since the expressway is a greenfield corridor and does not traverse inside cities, they are in the process of finalising the route and number of buses that can ply. “We are planning how and on which routes the buses should be run through the expressway and soon we will be starting the bus services,” Shekhar Channe, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of MSRTC, told The Indian Express.

Wayside amenities

Twenty wayside amenities with facilities like food hub, petrol pumps, electric charging ports, parking, trauma centres and ambulances etc for commuters will come up along the expressway in addition to nine standalone fuel stations.

Farm ponds

Over 1,000 new farm ponds and check dams have been built in drought-prone areas of Vidarbha and Marathwada regions along the Samruddhi Mahamarg.

Highway safety police

The Highway Safety Police (HSP) has set up 15 traffic aid posts (TAPs) along the expressway. MSRDC has deployed over 150 security personnel drawn from a pool of ex-servicemen to aid and assist the TAPs. In all, 21 ambulances, 21 Quick Response Vehicles, 15 cranes of 30 MT each and 15 patrolling vehicles have been deployed.

Electricity generation

A total of 138.47 MW of electricity is proposed to be generated through solar power.

Intelligent traffic management system

State-of-the-art Intelligent Traffic Management System will be installed over the next two years through bilateral funding with South Korea.

Connectivity

The Samruddhi Mahamarg will have direct links to the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust. It will facilitate rapid transportation of goods, agricultural products, dairy products and manpower from across Maharashtra to markets across the country and abroad. It will also connect tourist locations like Ajanta Ellora Caves, Shirdi, Verul, Lonar, etc.

Krushi Samruddhi Kendra

At some of the interchanges, new towns called ‘Krushi Samruddhi Kendra’ are being set up along the route. As on date, the government has notified 18 sites for the development of such towns. It is proposed to set up skill development centres at these places, state-of-the-art healthcare amenities, educational institutions and IT parks. Agro-based industries set up in these towns will provide employment, self-employment and other opportunities to help farmers to augment agricultural income. It is expected that the expressway will spur development in hitherto untapped geography, which will create employment for around five lakh people.