Mumbai-Goa Highway may be operational by December, work on this 84 km stretch is almost complete

The projected 555-kilometer Mumbai-Goa Highway, which was approved around 12 years ago to improve traffic flow between Mumbai, the Konkan, and Goa, is expected to be operational by December 2024. According to a senior official with the state Public Works Department, construction is underway and the 84-kilometer stretch between Panvel and Kasu is 99 percent completed. The cost of constructing this roadway is Rs 44,000 crore. The construction is being done under the supervision of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and other state authorities.

According to the report, the official said, "We have divided the entire project into 10 packages, of which six have been completed. What is left is the completion of the tunnel in Package 3, of which one side is already operational while the other side will be opened to the public by July 15. Similarly, some minor works are left in Package 1 which will be completed by December 2024."

Once operational, it will take people 6-8 hours to travel between Mumbai and Goa. "The 84 km stretch between Panvel and Indapur has been divided into two packages. The 42 km stretch between Panvel and Kasu is 99 percent complete and will be operational soon. At the same time, the work on the remaining 42 km between Kasu and Indapur has been taken up on a war footing," the official said. About 45 percent of the physical work in this package has been completed.

Meanwhile, a senior NHAI official reiterated that the entire Mumbai-Goa highway will be operational by December. Saying that this highway will bring much-awaited relief to the people of Konkan, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari had earlier said that the project will be completed by June 2024.

Gadkari, during his recent visit to Mumbai, had said, "There were several issues surrounding the construction of the project, and all of them will be resolved soon. This will pave the way for the completion of the highway. The entire stretch between Mumbai and Goa will be operational by June, except for the Chiplun flyover."

This highway has been a topic of discussion among the city dwellers, who said that while the state government made all efforts to ensure that the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) and the coastal road are built for the benefit of commuters and residents of the capital, it ignored the completion of the Mumbai-Goa highway.