Samruddhi Highway's 76 km stretch to open by February, connecting Mumbai to Nagpur

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Good news for motorists heading towards Nasik and Nagpur from Mumbai and Thane: The final 76-kilometre stretch of the Samruddhi Highway, connecting Igatpuri to Amane near Bhiwandi, is expected to be opened to traffic by the end of February. Amane village, where the Samruddhi Highway will begin, is located 53 kilometres from Mumbai.

An MSRDC official stated, "The work on the 76-kilometre stretch, which will link Igatpuri to Amane, is 99 per cent complete. The final stretch had to be constructed through challenging terrain, and it includes 16 bridges and five tunnels. By the end of February, we will apply the final touches, allowing motorists to travel non-stop from Amane in Bhiwandi to Nagpur."

Motorists planning to use the Samruddhi Highway will need to travel along the Mumbai-Nasik Highway from Thane to Thane Vadpe Road. From there, a 4.2-kilometre road will take them to the start of the Samruddhi Highway, after which they can head towards the Mumbai-Nasik Highway.

The stretch was originally scheduled to open by the end of 2024, but the opening was delayed due to the time taken to complete the road connecting the Mumbai-Nasik Highway with the Samruddhi Highway at the Amane interchange.

Currently, the Samruddhi Highway from Nagpur to Igatpuri is operational, meaning commuters travelling from Mumbai to Nagpur or vice versa must use the old Mumbai-Nasik Highway to reach Igatpuri before joining the Samruddhi Highway. Once the 76-kilometre stretch from Igatpuri to Amane near Bhiwandi-Thane is open, motorists will be able to bypass the Kasara Ghat and avoid the traffic on the old Mumbai-Nasik Highway.

The 701-kilometre expressway passes through three distinct habitats, beginning with the dry deciduous forests near Nagpur, followed by grasslands in the middle section, and finally the Western Ghats near the end of the expressway, close to Mumbai.