NHAI accelerates Mumbai-Goa highway work for Ganeshotsav

In a significant development expected to ease the journey for numerous migrants heading to their hometowns in the Konkan region to celebrate Ganeshotsav, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has unveiled plans to open a 42-kilometer stretch of the Mumbai-Goa highway. This one-sided lane, running from Panvel to Kasu in Raigad district, will be accessible before the festival commences. Currently, work is in progress to convert the bituminous road into a cemented one, according to an NHAI official.
The overarching Mumbai-Goa highway, spanning 555 kilometers to connect the two cities, extends across 460 kilometers in Maharashtra, concluding at Patradevi in Sindhudurg district. NHAI has undertaken the construction of 84 kilometers of this highway, covering the Panvel to Indapur section in Raigad district.
The project is divided into two packages: Package 1, involving the 42-kilometer stretch from Panvel to Kasu, awarded to JM Mhatre Infra Pvt Ltd at a cost of Rs 151 crore, and Package 2, focusing on the remaining 42 kilometers from Kasu to Indapur, entrusted to Kalyan Toll Infra in November 2022.
Previously, Supreme Tollways Pvt Ltd was initially awarded the entire 84-kilometer construction project from Panvel to Indapur in 2011, with a projected completion date of 2014. However, the project encountered numerous obstacles, including challenges related to land acquisition and utility relocation, which impeded progress.
Although these issues were resolved in 2014, the contractor faced financial difficulties, prompting NHAI to provide a financial injection of Rs 550 crore. Subsequently, the contractor expended Rs 500 crore on the construction of the 42-kilometer (2+2 lane) segment from Panvel to Kasu within Package 1, leaving only 20 kilometers of roadwork in Package 2 incomplete. In 2021, due to the contractor’s failure to meet project deadlines, NHAI terminated their services.
The terminated contractor subsequently approached the high court twice and the Supreme Court once to contest the termination. However, the courts consistently ruled in favor of NHAI, leading to the appointment of two new contractors in 2022. Although the previous contractor had completed construction on the 42-kilometer stretch from Panvel to Kasu, NHAI decided to convert the road into a cemented one due to the region’s heavy rainfall. Currently, 32 kilometers of this stretch have been completed, and the remaining work is ongoing, with an anticipated completion date just in time for the Ganesh festival.
In Package 2 of the highway project, work from Kasu to Indapur is still underway. This phase encompasses the construction of underpasses and bridges and the cementing of the road, with an expected completion date in December 2024.
While NHAI is overseeing the construction of 84 kilometers of the Mumbai-Goa highway in Maharashtra, the remaining 376 kilometers have been assigned to the state Public Works Department (PWD). The PWD has successfully completed 266 kilometers of the stretch and aims to conclude work on the remaining 88 kilometers by December of this year. The state PWD has divided the project into ten packages to facilitate smooth execution, beginning from Mangaon in Raigad district and concluding at Patradevi in Sindhudurg district.