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In a significant infrastructure milestone, Maharashtra Chief Minister Become fadnavisalong with Deputy CMs Eknath shinde and Ajit Pawarinaugurated the Final 76-MK Igatpuri-aaamne stretch of the Hinduhrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray maharashtra samruddhi mahamarg on Thursday.

This officially completes the 701 km expresswaydirectly linking Mumbai and Nagpur and bringing major travel, logistics, and economic benefits.

Travel Time Cut by 50%

With the entire expressway now open to the public, the travel time between Mumbai and Nagpur has been reduced from 16 hours to 8. The route is now fully operational for vehicular traffic, enabling seamless, high-speed connectivity.

Engineering Feat: High-Speed Tunnels

The newly opened stretch features five tunnelsincluding an 8-km-long tunnel in Nashikthe longest on the entire expressway. The Igatpuri -Kasara Sectionwhich previously took much longer to navigate, can now be completed in just 8 minutes.

Leaders Take the First Ride

Before the official ceremony, the Chief Minister and his deputies drove through the new tunnel. Fadnavis praised the route as “Maharashtra’s path to prosperity – paved and delivered.”

A Vision Realized

Calling the expressway “Maharashtra’s Prosperity Lifeline,” Fadnavis said it fulfills the long-standing vision of improving connectivity and accelerating sustainable growth across the state. He termed it a historic infrastructure achievement.

CMO Celebrates on X

The Chief Minister’s Office celebrated the launch on social media, calling the drive a symbol of Maharashtra’s progress and a dream realized. The post also credited Fadnavis as the project’s visionary leader.

Politics with a Wink

When asked about the three top leaders traveling together, Fadnavis quipped, “Our car is working fine. We three work in three shifts,” referencing the state’s unique coalition government with a touch of humor.

Next Up: Shaktipeeth Mahamarg

Fadnavis also announced the next major highway projectthe Shaktipeeth mahamargfocused on boosting Marathwada’s economic growth. Work on the new route will begin soon.

Project Scale and Investment

The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) spearheaded the Rs 55,335 crore, six-lane, access-controlled expressway. The mega project spans:

• 10 districts
• 26 Talakas
• 392 villages
• 12 connected districts
  and links directly to the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authorityenhancing freight efficiency and regional development.

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