Shirdi-Bharvir phase 2 of Samruddhi Expressway inaugurated by Maha CM

Shirdi, May 26 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday inaugurated the second phase of the Samruddhi Corridor between Shirdi and Bharvir in Nashik district, in the process throwing open for public 600 kilometres of the 701-km route between Mumbai and Nagpur.

The 80-km stretch under phase 2 will increase connectivity from Vidarbha to different parts of Nashik, Ahmednagar and Pune through an interchange in Gonde in Sinnar, and also ease the commute to Shirdi, a renowned religious tourism destination, from Mumbai, Thane and Nashik, officials said.

The Shirdi-Barvir stretch will bring medical facilities within reach of residents of Shirdi and areas close to it, officials said, adding the SMBT Hospital was just 500 metres away from the Bharvir interchange and can be accessed from the temple town in less than an hour.

The phase 2 stretch of the Samruddhi Expressway will also benefit farmers of Shirdi, Ahmednagar and Sinnar to get farm produce to Mumbai quickly due to reduction in cargo transport time.

This stretch of Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg comprises seven major bridges, 18 minor bridges, 30 underpasses, 23 light vehicular underpasses, three interchanges at three plazas, 56 toll booths, six weigh bridges, they said.

They said 11.141 km of the stretch passes through seven villages in Kopargaon (Ahmednagar district), 60.969 km in Sinnar and 7.067 km in Igatpuri, both in Nashik district. Phase 2 has come up at a cost of Rs 3,200 crore.

The 520-kilometre long first phase of Samruddhi Mahamarg from Nagpur to Shirdi was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 11, 2022, which reduced the travel time between Vidarbha’s largest city and the temple town from 10 hours to five hours.

This mega project has benefitted 24 districts from Vidarbha, Marathwada and north Maharashtra and has been hugely patronised by motorists since December, officials said.