Samruddhi Mahamarg is a game changer as far as infrastructure development is concerned
The Samruddhi Mahamarg (Nagpur-Mumbai Super Communication Expressway) is a flagship project of MSRDC, and is a game changer as far as infrastructure development is concerned. The project commenced in February 2019, and is being executed at a cost of Rs 55,235.32 crore. The 701-km long Greenfield Expressway can also be called a prosperity corridor, and will be an east-west connectivity.
- Anil Kumar Gaikwad
Joint Managing Director (Engineering), MSRDC
How is Samruddhi Mahamarg progressing and what are the highlights of this project?
The Samruddhi Mahamarg (Nagpur-Mumbai Super Communication Expressway) is a flagship project of MSRDC, and is a game changer as far as infrastructure development is concerned. The project commenced in February 2019, and is being executed at a cost of Rs 55,235.32 crore. The 701-km long Greenfield Expressway can also be called a prosperity corridor, and will be an east-west connectivity.
Besides connecting the metro cities of Mumbai and Nagpur, the expressway will pass through 10 districts. Out of a total of 36 districts in Maharashtra, 24 districts will be directly or indirectly benefiting from this project. There are 25 location interchanges. The Samruddhi Mahamarg will reduce the travel time between Mumbai and Nagpur to just eight hours. The project is intended to enhance connectivity, employment opportunities, regional market potential, besides strengthening manufacturing and industrial development.
The main highlight of the project is that 18 nodes have been notified by the government, and out of this, we are developing 8 nodes, for which feasibility studies are being carried out and consultant has been appointed. The project will run along 18 townships, and MSRDC will develop educational hub, agricultural and allied activities, warehouses, and cold storages. The project will be mainly beneficial for farmers. It will give fastest connectivity to JNPT, and connect dry ports at Jalna and Wardha.
The all concrete road will directly impact nearly 36 per cent of the state's population residing along the expressway. The Mumbai-Nagpur-Raipur-Angul gas pipeline, as a part of the National Gas Grid, runs along the expressway. The ready availability of the Right of Way for the pipeline will ensure that this project gets executed in record time, along with the Electric Vehicle charging infrastructure, making this corridor a model of an energy efficient corridor. We hope to operationalise the first phase of the project by October 2022, on Mumbai-Shirdi stretch. By December 2022, we hope to complete another 84 km, and the entire project is hoped to be completed by December 2023.
Did you face any land acquisition issues while implementing this project, and how was the financing structured?
We procured consent for 90 per cent of the land and directly purchased it from more than 30,000 willing farmers who gave 7,888 acres of land. The entire exercise was completed in a record breaking time of 10 months. The farmers were compensated by five times of the Ready Reckoner Rate, whereas, NHAI pays only four times.
Regarding financing of the project, we have raised a debt of Rs 28,000 crores from a consortium of 13 Indian banks. SBI Caps was our transactional adviser.
How is Mumbai-Pune Expressway Missing Link project progressing?
The Mumbai-Pune Expressway Missing Link (MPEW) project is expected to be completed by December 2023. The tunnelling work is being carried out by EPC contractor Navayuga Engineering Co Ltd and bridges work by Afcons Infrastructure Ltd. The MPEW will have the world's widest tunnel, and will have length of 8.9 km with width of 23 m. Excavation work will be completed by October 2022, and the project when ready will have four plus one emergency lane. The project is expected to reduce travel time between Mumbai and Pune by 20-25 minutes. The Missing Link will be a 19.84 km independent expressway and after completion of this project, the entire stretch of Mumbai- Pune Expressway of 94 km will be access controlled road.
The Mumbai-Pune Expressway is presently a six-lane cement concrete pavement with 2.5 m wide paved shoulder on both sides having a length of 94 km.
What are the other ongoing and future projects being undertaken by MSRDC?
MSRDC is also undertaking the Thane Creek Bridge 3 project which is under implementation. The bridge will add six more lanes to the existing bridges, thereby reducing the traffic congestion between Mumbai and Vashi. The project is being undertaken at a cost of Rs 775.58 crore and is expected to be operational by December 23. L&T has bagged the project.
The Corporation is taking up many more mega projects such as the Pune Ring Road which is in progress state. The government has approved the project and the total project cost is Rs 39,000 crore. Land acquisition is in progress for this project.
The other projects in the pipeline are Multimodal Corridor (Virar-Alibaug), Greenfield Konkan Expressway, Jalna-Nanded Expressway etc. Along with this, extension of Samruddhi Expressway from Nagpur to Gadchiroli and Gondia districts, titled as Eastern Maharashtra Expressway (EME) is in planning stage. The completion of these projects would give a huge impetus to the state's economy.
Presently, MSRDC is simultaneously working on Bandra-Versova Sea Link project. This sea link when ready will connect Bandra to Versova in just 10 minutes, as against a travel time of over 60 minutes today.
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