Mega project gets big push, all 16 packages awarded under Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Corridor

The ambitious super communication expressway, Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Corridor connecting 10 districts of Maharashtra, has got a big boost. As per the latest development available with Projects Today, all the 16 packages under this project have been awarded.

The big ticket project will be taken up by the following companies: Megha Engineering & Infrastructures (Pkg-1&9), Afcons Infrastructure (Pkg-2&14), NCC (Pkg-3), PNC Infratech (Pkg-4), Sadbhav Engineering (Pkg-5), Apco Infratech (Pkg-6), Reliance Infrastructure (Pkg-7), Iron Triangle (Pkg-8), Larsen & Toubro (Pkg-10), Gayatri Projects (Pkg-11), Dilip Buildcon (Pkg-12), GVPR Engineers (Pkg-13), and Navayuga Engineering Company (Pkg-15&16). The aggregate value of these contracts is Rs 31,589.93 crore.

Engineering Projects India, Stup Consultants, Ernst & Young and Wadia & Co are  associated as the consultant for the project.

The mega project which will provide last-mile connectivity has been undertaken by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC). A special purpose vehicle, the Nagpur-Mumbai Super Communication Expressway, was incorporated to initiate this state-of-the-art transportation network.

The eight-lane expressway will pass through areas which have a developmental backlog and will reach cities in North Maharashtra, Marathwada and Vidarbha. The project involves developing 710 km communication super expressway linking Mumbai with Nagpur via backward regions of Maharashtra on engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) basis. The expressway route will be built in two phases which will pass through 10 main districts, 14 other districts, and 26 sub-districts. In all, the expressway will traverse around 392 villages.

The overall cost of the project is estimated at Rs 46,000 crore, including land acquisition cost. Seventy percent of the funding is expected to be generated from national and international banks, while the rest would be raised by MSRDC through equity. The total land required for the project is 9,900 ha.

The first phase will cater to the 710 km eight-lane high speed road between Nagpur and Mumbai. The second phase includes 25 nodes (townships), also known as Krushi Samruddhi Kendra, will be taken up simultaneously. The Krushi Samruddhi Kendra will spread across 10 districts and comprise agro-based industrial, manufacturing and commercial hub along with a residential area equipped with basic amenities.

The total land required for the project is 9,900 ha of which 9,800 ha has been acquired on consensus and negotiation-based approach by the end of November 2018.

The slow-paced project saw re-inviting of tenders several times gained by late 2017, when 33 companies envisaged interest and submitted their bids for undertaking the works of the big-ticket project. In May 2018, 18 eligible bidders were announced for the Nagpur-Mumbai Super Communication Expressway and by June 2018, 13 were declared as the lowest (L1) bidders.

Afterwards, within a span of two months (30 August-end to 5 November 2018) the entire 16 packages of the Samruddhi Corridor have been awarded. Currently, the work on the project is underway with completion scheduled for July 2021.

The super communication expressway, when once completed, will drastically reduce  travel time between Mumbai and Nagpur from the existing 18 to just eight hours. Moreover, the project will attribute to the overall development of the state by creating a huge opportunity for business, trade, education, health care and other services.