Gadkari Reviews Major Highway Projects in Maharashtra to Boost Connectivity
Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, reviewed several major highway development proposals in Maharashtra during a meeting held in New Delhi earlier this week. The discussions centred on proposed high-speed corridors, high-density routes, and other strategic national highway projects aimed at improving regional connectivity.
Among the key projects reviewed were the six-laning of the Nagpur–Bhandara section and the four-laning of the Taloda–Burhanpur stretch. The meeting also covered important corridor developments such as the Durg–Gadchiroli–Mancherial route and the Gadchiroli–Kanker corridor, which forms part of the larger Raipur–Visakhapatnam connectivity plan. Additionally, the Gwalior–Nagpur corridor was discussed as part of broader infrastructure planning.
The review also included detailed discussions on nine State-level Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) projects, collectively covering 527 km of national highway stretches within Maharashtra. These projects are aimed at upgrading existing road infrastructure to improve traffic flow and logistics efficiency.
Key BOT projects discussed included the four-laning of Shirur–Ahilyanagar, Ahilyanagar–Wadala, and Wadala–Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar stretches. Other corridors under review were Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar–Jalna and Jalna–Watur, both planned for four-laning to accommodate increasing traffic demand.
Further projects include the Nanded–Narsi–Deglur stretch, which involves both four-lane and two-lane development, as well as the Jam–Warora and Warora–Chandrapur–Bamni corridors, both proposed for four-laning. The Malkapur–Chikhli section, planned as a two-lane corridor, was also part of the discussion.
The review focused on expediting project planning and execution timelines to ensure timely delivery of these infrastructure upgrades. Improved highway connectivity across Maharashtra is expected to facilitate smoother movement of goods and passengers, while also supporting economic development in both urban and hinterland regions.
Source - PTI
