Mumbai, Jun 4 (PTI) The final 76km stretch of Samruddhi Mahamarg, from Igatpuri in Nashik to Amane in Thane, is set for inauguration on June 5, marking the completion of the 701-km Mumbai region-Nagpur expressway that will reduce travel time between the two cities to eight hours.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will inaugurate the fourth and final phase of the 701km Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Mahamarg on Thursday (June 5), said Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) on Wednesday.

Currently, 625km of the expressway is operational, and nearly two crore vehicles have utilised it so far. The maximum speed limit on the expressway is 100 km/h in ghat sections and 120 km/h on flat terrain, it said.

The state-owned corporation said once the final 76km stretch between Igatpuri in Nashik district and Amane in Thane district (part of Mumbai metropolitan region) opens for traffic, the journey between the two cities can be completed in just eight hours.

"Previously, the journey from Nagpur to Mumbai via the old route would take 17 to 18 hours. With this new greenfield expressway, the same distance (between Nagpur and Amane in Thane district) can be covered in eight hours," a MSRDC release said.

Besides Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar will attend the inauguration function at Igatpuri, around 140km from Mumbai. A newly-constructed creek bridge in Thane will also inaugurated via video conferencing on the occasion.

The six-lane expressway, officially called Hindu Hridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg, traverses 392 villages in 26 talukas across 10 districts in five revenue divisions.

Once the final phase of the expressway opens for traffic, pilgrims travelling from the Thane-Mumbai region to the temple town of Shirdi in Ahilyanagar district, will benefit from a faster and more convenient route, MSRDC said.

Additionally, farmers from Shirdi, Ahilyanagar, Sinnar and Igatpuri (in Nashik district) will be able to transport their agricultural produce to and from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region efficiently and in less time, said the corporation.

Samruddhi Mahamarg links the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (Navi Mumbai) and major tourist destinations such as Shirdi, Ajanta-Ellora Caves (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district) and Lonar lake (Buldhana district).

Overcoming major engineering challenges, the last stretch was constructed "cutting through the rugged terrain" of the Sahyadri mountain ranges, MSRDC said.

"Due to the hilly and valley terrain along this 76km stretch, viaducts and tunnels had to be constructed, posing considerable challenges. In certain areas, excavation of 30 to 40 metres into hard rock was necessary," according to the implementing agency for the project.

This stretch includes five twin tunnels with a combined length of 10.73 km (21.46 km including both lanes), 17 major valley viaducts, with a total length of 10.56 km (21.12 km including both lanes) and three interchanges at Igatpuri, Khutghar, and Amane.

"As a result, the distance from Igatpuri to Kasara (Thane district) can be covered in approximately eight minutes, providing an alternative route to the Kasara Ghat on National Highway No 3 and thereby significantly enhancing traffic speed," the release said.

MSRDC said the tunnel at package 14 (Igatpuri) is 8km long, making it the longest and widest tunnel (17.61 metres) in Maharashtra. The tunnel has a height of 9.12 metres. For the first time in India, a state-of-the-art fire-fighting system has been installed in this tunnel.

The longest viaduct in this segment is 2.28 km in length, and at one location (viaduct-2), the height of some piers reaches up to 84 metres.

Highlighting challenges faced during the completion of the final phase, MSRDC said a significant number of high and low-voltage electric lines had to be relocated in the 76km stretch.

These included the relocation of 62 low-voltage lines belonging to Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd, five electric lines of Torrent Power, and one power line of Power Grid Corp. In addition, one Railway overbridge has been constructed in this segment.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated the first phase covering 520km between Nagpur and Shirdi on December 11, 2022. The second 80km phase from Shirdi (Kokamthan) to Bharvir Interchange (Nashik district) was inaugurated on May 26, 2023, while the third 25km corridor between Bharvir Interchange to Igatpuri was thrown open for traffic on March 4, 2024.

The expressway, built at a cost of about Rs 55,000 crore, is one of India's longest and passes through 10 districts -- Nagpur, Wardha, Amravati, Washim, Buldhana, Jalna, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Ahilyanagar, Nashik, and Thane.

It also indirectly connects Chandrapur, Gondia, Bhandara, Gadchiroli, Yavatmal, Akola, Hingoli, Parbhani, Nanded, Beed, Dhule, Jalgaon, Palghar, and Raigad districts.

The expressway links JNPA to MIHAN, a composite project of airport, road and rail terminals, SEZ and other allied services in Nagpur, enabling faster and time-bound cargo movement across India.

"Samruddhi Mahamarg will drive the growth of agriculture, tourism, transportation, industry, and MSMEs, leading to substantial employment generation and saving both fuel and time," MSRDC said. PTI KK RSY