40% work on Mumbai-Nagpur expressway complete: MSRDC official

At least 40 per cent work on the Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway has been completed and the stretch from Igatpuri to Nagpur will be fully operational by December 2021, a senior official from the MSRDC said on Wednesday.

Addressing a virtual press conference, vice-chairman and managing director of Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) Radheshyam Mopalwar spoke about the progress of work on the 701-km Hindu Hruday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg.

"Our aim is to complete the 31-km stretch from Igatpuri to Nagpur for the state Assembly winter session in December 2021. However, some portion of the route in Vidarbha will be ready by June next year," the senior official said.

Mopalwar also spoke about the development of 20 townships and nodes along the route of the expressway, which will pass through 10 districts, 26 tehsils and 390 villages.

"There are eight stages for developing townships that we have identified. We are now in the fifth stage, wherein it is to be decided which part of land will go to people and what will remain with the MSRDC," he said.

The coronavirus-induced lockdown had impacted the work on the eight-lane expressway, he said, adding that the corporation will make up for the lost time and labour.

(Photo credit for representation: PTI)