Cabinet approves six-lane Nashik–Solapur–Akkalkot corridor to cut travel time by 17 hours.
The building of a six lane access controlled greenfield Nashik Solapur Akkalkot corridor in Maharashtra under the BOT (Toll) system has been approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, which is chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The project will cost Rs. 19,142 crore in total capital. The 374-kilometer project’s goal is to improve integrated transport infrastructure in accordance with the PM Gatishakti National Master Plan.
The Delhi-Mumbai Motorway near the Vadhawan port interchange, the Agra-Mumbai corridor at Nashik at the intersection of NH-60 (Adegaon), and Samruddhi Mahamarg at Pangri (near Nashik) are all proposed connections for the greenfield corridor from Nashik to Akkalkot. From the west coast to the east coast, the projected corridor will offer direct access. Four-lane lanes are currently being built from the Chennai port end to Hasapur (the MH Border) via Thiruvallur, Renigunta, Kadappa, and Kurnool (a distance of 700 km).
Enhancing travel efficiency is the main goal of the proposed access-controlled six-lane greenfield project route, which is anticipated to cut trip time by 17 hours and travel distance by 201 kilometres. Connectivity between Nashik and Akkalkot (Solapur) will increase the efficiency of logistics for goods that originates and ends at the important Kopparthy and Orvakal nodes of the National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC). The section on Nashik-Talegaon Dighe also discusses the need for the Pune-Nashik Motorway, which NICDC highlighted as a component of the new motorway proposal being pursued by the Maharashtra State Government. The project offers a high-speed corridor that is intended to enhance safety and maintain continuous traffic flow while cutting down on travel time, volume, and operating expenses. Significantly, the project would improve the region’s fundamental infrastructure, supporting the general economic growth of the districts of Nashik, Ahilyanagar, Dharashiv, and Solapur. With a design speed of 100 km/h, the six-lane access-controlled greenfield corridor with close tolling can accommodate average vehicle speeds of 60 km/h. In addition to providing safer, quicker, and continuous communication for both passenger and freight vehicles, this would cut the total journey time by 45%, from 31 hours to about 17 hours. About 313.83 lakh man-days of indirect employment and 251.06 lakh man-days of direct employment will result from the project. Because of the increased economic activity around the proposed corridor, the project will also create more job opportunities.
