Road tunnels between Igatpuri and Kasara under the Nagpur Mumbai Super Communication Expressway (NMSCE), also known as Samruddhi Mahamarg,is in the final lap of completion.
The 7.7 km tunnel is the longest in Maharashtra and the fourth longest in the country.
Its width, at 18 metres, is the most for any tunnel in India. The tunnel will enable commuters to cross the Kasara ghat section in around seven to eight minutes. The current travel time in the ghat section is at least 30-35 minutes.
Over 44 lakh tonnes of rocks were excavated from the Sahyadri mountain range using the New Austrian Tunnel Method (NATM) to make the tunnel.
The tunnel is divided into two tubes, each having three lanes, for traffic to and from Nagpur and Mumbai.