The Maharashtra government has approved the extension of the Samruddhi Mahamarg to connect Jalna and Nanded. This new stretch will reduce the distance between these two cities from 226 kilometres to 179.8 kilometers. The travel time from Mumbai to Nanded will also be cut in half once this project is complete.
It will pass through the districts of Parbhani, Jalna, and Nanded. This will improve connectivity in the region. In addition, the government plans to further extend the expressway to Hyderabad. It will benefit farmers, traders, professionals, and students, offering faster access to cities like Aurangabad, Pune, and Mumbai.
This six-lane expressway will begin at Jalna on the Samruddhi Mahamarg and end at NH 161, which connects Nanded to Telangana. The road will span 179.85 kilometers. Its right-of-way will be 100 meters wide, with space reserved for a high-speed rail track. The road is designed for speeds of up to 120 kilometres per hour.
The project was announced in September 2021. INR 2,200 crore was allocated for land acquisition. However, only about 22% of the required 1,718 hectares have been acquired after three years. The project is facing delays because of the protests from farmers in the area. They argue that their compensation is lower than what was given for land along the Samruddhi Highway.
In January this year, the government invited ten pre-qualified companies to submit bids for the expressway’s construction. The work will be divided into six packages labelled JNE-1 through JNE-6. Each of these packages has a 900-day deadline for completion.
The Maharashtra government also has plans to build more access-controlled motorways. These roads will connect major districts of the state to the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Mahamarg.
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