On 701-Km Nagpur To Mumbai Road In Balasaheb Thackeray’s Name, Political Fight Over Credit | Ground Report – News18

Last Updated:November 15, 2024, 08:18 IST

Former CM Devendra Fadnavis envisioned the project, while it was named after Balasaheb Thackeray by the MVA government and its first stretch was built when Eknath Shinde was PWD minister

It is an 11-hour journey from Nagpur to Mumbai through the ‘Hindu Hruday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg’, the last three hours needed to complete a 76-km stretch near Mumbai that is yet to be completed. But, it is a smooth ride on the almost 625-km stretch of the expressway that is complete.

CNN-News18 drove down the expressway, which has also become a centrepiece of politics after Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) of trying to put roadblocks in this particular project. At one of the longest expressways in the country at 701 km, the road connects the eastern end of the state with its western end – from Vidarbha to Mumbai.

Former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis claims to have envisioned the project during his term, and it is dear to the BJP to showcase its development record. Starting near Nagpur, giant arch gate toll booths mark the beginning of the expressway with officials checking the health of tyres to allow vehicles on the long road ahead. With a maximum speed of 120 kmph, vehicles zoom through it to destinations like Wardha, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar and Shirdi.

In fact, Shirdi, the popular spiritual and religious destination, is only four to five hours from Nagpur and can now be a day trip, thanks to the expressway. “It used to take anything between 20 to 24 hours to drive from Nagpur to Mumbai when the expressway was not there. Once the expressway is complete till Nagpur, it will take only about 8 to 9 hours,” said a family travelling on the expressway from Wardha to Mumbai.

They had parked under an overbridge to have lunch. “This is one big problem of this road. There is still a lack of good refreshment places… one has no option but to stop on the road to rest or grab a bite. It is dangerous but there are few options,” they said.

The Politics Behind The Expressway

But do infrastructure projects bring in votes? “Of course, people reward development. We would vote for the BJP as it has made my journey simpler from Mumbai to my hometown Wardha. Political parties do keep fighting for credit for such projects,” the family told CNN-News18.

While Fadnavis has always claimed the project as being his brainchild, the foundation stone was laid by Modi in 2018. The first stretch of 520 km from Nagpur to Shirdi opened in December 2022, when the Mahayuti returned to power. The second phase of more than 80 km between Shirdi and Igatpuri opened in May 2023, while hectic work is on the final 75-km stretch that will take the expressway to Mumbai’s boundary near Thane.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was the public works department minister in the MVA government till 2022 and also claims credit for building the first stretch of the expressway till Shirdi in three years. The original deadline to complete the entire road was 2021.

It was also during the MVA government that the Rs 55,000-crore expressway was renamed as ‘Hindu Hruday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg’.

It takes one through multiple tunnels, majestic river bridges and wildlife sanctuaries. It also has a significant political import as it connects the ‘under-developed’ Vidarbha region with the ‘highly-developed’ Mumbai-Thane region – in a way linking the state’s disparate economic regions.

Refreshment facilities on the expressway are few and people are not complaining much given the speed it offers. “We are looking forward to whichever government comes to power next to complete the last leg of the expressway,” the family said.