The Balasaheb Thackeray Samruddhi Mahamarg (Expressway) between Nagpur and Mumbai will be India's first highway with nine green bridges (overpasses) and 17 underpasses for the movement of wild animal movements.
The project is estimated at approximately 46,000 crores and will create connectivity between major cities of Maharashtra, including twenty-four districts in the state.
Improved Connectivity
The project will improve the connectivity between districts, including Nagpur, Wardha, Amravati, Washim, Buldhana, Aurangabad, Jalna, Ahmednagar, Nashik, and Thane. The Expressway will also be a medium to improve the imports and exports and the employment of India, as it will be connecting to India's most enormous container port, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT).
Interconnecting highways and feeder roads would be built to connect all major cities and tourist destinations along this route. It will connect Chandrapur, Bhandara, Gondia, Gadchiroli, Yavatmal, Akola, Hingoli, Parbhani, Nanded, Beed, Dhule, Jalgaon, Palghar, and Raigad, as well as fourteen other districts.
Key Features
The Balasaheb Thackeray Samruddhi Expressway is being built to connect major Maharashtra cities for various self-employment and wages-based employment opportunities, business, trade, education, health care, and other necessary services, as reported by Nagpur Today.
The Expressway will be a Zero Fatality Mahamarg, with CCTV surveillance and free phone booths every 5 kilometres to allow for reporting of accidents and emergencies. Along the Expressway, utility Mahamarg will be provided for OFC cables, gas pipelines, electricity lines, etc.
The Live Mint reported that the Expressway will be used as a temporary runway in an emergency, natural disaster, or war-like situation. Meanwhile, state Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde stated that the Maharashtra government intends to open phase 1 of the Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway to traffic in May. The first phase extends from Nagpur to Shirdi.
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