TBM Staff - Mumbai Sanctioned nearly 12 years ago with the aim of easing traffic between Mumbai, Konkan, and Goa, the envisioned 555km Mumbai-Goa Highway is anticipated to become operational by December of this year. As per a senior official from the state public works department, progress is underway, with the 42km segment between Panvel and Kasu nearing completion at 99%. This ambitious highway project comes with a price tag of INR 44,000 crore and is being executed collaboratively by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) along with several state agencies.
“We have divided the entire project into 10 packages of which six have been completed. What remains is completion of the tunnel in package 3, of which one side is already operational while the other side will be open to the public by July 15. Similarly, minor works remain to be completed in package 1, which will be completed by December,” the official said. Once operational, it will take 6-8 hours for the people to travel between Mumbai and Goa.
“The stretch has been divided into two packages. While the Panvel and Kasu stretch will be operational soon, the work on the remaining 42km between Kasu and Indapur has been taken on a war footing,” the official said adding, that about 45% of the physical work in this package has been completed. A senior NHAI official said that the entire highway will be operational by December. Stating that the highway will bring much-needed relief to the people of Konkan, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari had earlier said that the project would be completed by June 2024. “There were many problems regarding the construction of the project, and all those would be solved soon. The entire stretch will start by June, except the Chiplun flyover,” Gadkari had said during his recent visit to Mumbai. Meanwhile, residents and commuters said that the state government prioritised the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) and the Coastal Road project but turned a blind eye to the completion of the Mumbai-Goa highway. (Source: The Free Press Journal) (Pic Courtesy: MagicBricks)
