Vidarbha’s 550-km expressway network gets nod; Rs 51,906cr projects cleared

Nagpur: The Maharashtra Government has granted administrative approval to four major access-controlled expressway projects spanning nearly 550 km across Vidarbha, paving the way for a massive road infrastructure push in the region. The projects received clearance during the Infrastructure Committee meeting chaired by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis at Mantralaya.The four projects include the Nagpur-Gondia Expressway, Bhandara-Gadchiroli Expressway, Nagpur-Chandrapur Expressway and the Navegaon More-Konsari (Chandrapur) to Surjagad Greenfield Road (Gadchiroli). Together, the projects are expected to significantly strengthen connectivity between eastern and western Maharashtra while boosting industrial, mining and regional development in Vidarbha.The total civil construction cost of the projects has been estimated at Rs32,478 crore, while the overall project cost stands at Rs51,906.35 crore. The projects will be executed by Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC).During the meeting, Fadnavis directed officials to fast-track all procedures and ensure that the projects are completed within the stipulated deadline. Officials informed that the projects are scheduled for completion between September and December 2028. Fadnavis also stressed the importance of the Navegaon More–Surjagad corridor for mineral transportation and suggested linking it with the Samruddhi Expressway to improve freight movement across the state. He further directed officials to study the feasibility of a tunnel road connecting Western Maharashtra with the Konkan region.Among the approved corridors, the Nagpur–Chandrapur Expressway will be the longest at 204.799 km, while the Nagpur–Gondia Expressway will span 162.377 km with nine interchanges. The Bhandara–Gadchiroli Expressway will cover 94.241 km, whereas the Navegaon More–Konsari to Surjagad Greenfield Road will extend 85.765 km.The projects will require large-scale land acquisition across multiple districts and are expected to improve connectivity to industrial, mining and rural areas across Vidarbha.