By Dominick Rodrigues
Mumbai : Maharashtra’s highway works expenditure has been enhanced to Rs 5801 crores and the Delhi-Mumbai ‘Greenfield’ Expressway to be extended till JNPT, while the ‘Palkhi Marg’ with parallel pedestrian path is to be built connecting Alandi and Dehu Road with Pandharpur, according to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.
The Minister announced this in Mumbai yesterday after reviewing the progress of Highway Infrastructure projects in Maharashtra with the State Chief Minister Udhhav Thackerey and senior officials.
Gadkari told mediapersons that the Centre has approved new National Highway projects worth Rs 5,801 crore rupees for Maharashtra under the Annual Plan. “The Annual Plan for NH works in Maharashtra was approved for Rs. 2,727 Cr. I got it enhanced to Rs. 5,801 Cr which will improve/ develop 1035 km of National Highways in the State,” he said.
This length includes development of 406 km to two lanes with paved shoulder standards at Rs. 3,037 crores, besides reconstruction of 5 major bridges and 10 minor bridges at Rs. 429 Cr, he said, adding that projects amounting to Rs 1,800 crores have also been sanctioned under the Central Road Fund scheme.
Noting that the Rs 1 lakh crore ‘greenfield’ Delhi-Mumbai Expressway will be extended till JNPT in order to facilitate container traffic, Gadkari said the Maharashtra Government will partner in its construction — by means of GST exemption and royalty-free supply of steel and cement, which will be considered as State Government equity in the project.
“We are not only building roads, but also planting trees and creating infrastructure for safe movement of wildlife,” the Minister said while pointing out that the ‘Palkhi Marg’ connecting Pandharpur – Alandi and Pandharpur-Dehu Road will be constructed with a parallel pedestrian track for ‘Warkaris’ to undertake their pilgrimage to Pandharpur safely and comfortably.
To decongest the Mumbai-Pune stretch of the National Highway, a separate North-South Highway corridor from Surat via Nashik – Ahmednagar – Solapur would be built for traffic headed to southern states, Gadkari said.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has built 3,771 kms of concrete roads in Maharashtra. The target for construction during 2020-21 is 2,500 kms out of which 1,394 kms have been completed so far.
