The 701-km-long Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Expressway, a key infrastructure project initiated by former CM Devendra Fadnavis, is now fully constructed. The final 76-km stretch between Igatpuri and Amane (Thane district) has been completed, with remaining tasks such as tree plantation and crash barrier installation set to finish by mid-March.

Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) led the project, with 16 construction firms involved.

The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) confirmed that vehicular movement on the full stretch will begin next month, pending the state government’s approval. The expressway, which traverses 10 districts, required the acquisition of 8,861 hectares of land.

One of the biggest engineering challenges was cutting through the Western Ghats to construct a 7.7-km tunnel between Igatpuri and Kasara, alongside complex viaduct constructions in Igatpuri and Thane. The project had begun in 2019, but faced delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The first phase (Nagpur to Shirdi) was inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi in December 2022, followed by Shirdi to Bharvir in May 2023 and another 25-km stretch to Igatpuri last year.