Nagpur: The much-anticipated Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Expressway has faced yet another delay. The final 76-kilometer stretch, from Igatpuri to Amane (Thane), will now not be open for traffic until after the Assembly election results are declared and the new government takes office.

The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) had previously committed to making the final section operational by the end of September, but that deadline has now been missed.

MSRDC Managing Director Anilkumar Gaikwad stated that, “One carriageway of the Igatpuri-Amane stretch is ready, and the second will be completed in the coming days. However, the 4-km road from Amane to Vadape, which connects to the Mumbai-Vadodara Expressway, is still facing some issues. Both MSRDC and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) are working to resolve these problems, but it will take some time. We will only open the final leg of the Samruddhi Expressway once the Amane-Vadape road is completed.”

MSRDC sources indicated that even if the Amane-Vadape road is finished during the election period, the last stretch of the expressway will remain closed until the new government is in place. 

The delay has further extended the wait for commuters eager to benefit from the much-hyped expressway, designed to significantly reduce travel time between Nagpur and Mumbai.