Samruddhi E-way Extension To Boost Industries In Eastern Vidarbha: CM

Nagpur: CM Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said the proposed extension of Samruddhi Expressway to eastern Vidarbha will provide a major boost to the local economy.Speaking on the sidelines of an event to inaugurate Godam Logistics Park, Fadnavis said completing the project within the deadline is a top priority. "The Samruddhi extension will provide a big boost to industries in eastern Vidarbha. The extension project will significantly reduce logistics cost, while generating employment on a very large scale. Our main focus is on creating employment opportunities," he said.On Nagpur's growing stature as a national logistics hub, Fadnavis said the state's logistics policy was already delivering results. "The logistics policy we prepared has made Nagpur one of the country's logistics hubs. A large number of logistics parks are being built, and this will reduce logistics costs. If we want to be globally competitive and be part of the global supply chain, reducing logistics costs is important," he said.The Samruddhi Expressway extension, which will add around 400km of six-lane highway, is already in advanced stages of preparation. The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has nearly completed joint measurement of private land for extensions towards Gondia and Gadchiroli, covering 104 of 113 villages on the Gondia route and 58 of 62 villages on the Bhandara leg. An alternative alignment for the Chandrapur extension is awaiting approval after coal blocks were found on the originally planned route. Land acquisition for the extensions is estimated at more than Rs4,500 crore.The state budget also proposed connecting the expressway southward to Chheda Nagar and Anand Nagar in south Mumbai by 2028, effectively creating an expressway spine from Gadchiroli in the far east to south Mumbai. A Tawa-Bharvir freight corridor connecting Vadhavan Port in Palghar to the Samruddhi Expressway also has been proposed to support goods movement between the port and inland markets.