Mumbai-Goa travel time to be cut to 6 hours with the new Konkan Expressway. Details inside

In a significant development, the Maharashtra Government has proposed to build a new expressway—Konkan Expressway—connecting Mumbai to Goa. The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) will administer the construction of this 376-km-long, 6-lane accessed-control expressway.

According to DNA India, the proposed Greenfield Expressway will run along the scenic Konkan coast. Notably, the preparation work for Konkan Expressway’s Detailed Project Report (DPR) has already commenced.

This new expressway will connect Sindhudurg to Panvel (Navi Mumbai) via Raigad and Ratnagiri. Currently, it takes 12-13 hours to cover the distance between Mumbai and Sindhudurg. With this project, the time will decrease significantly to as low as 6 hours. 

This new corridor will significantly reduce travel time while providing a comfortable experience to all commuters. In addition to reducing travel time, the project will boost tourism and is expected to create job opportunities in the districts surrounding the highway.

The MSRDC has initiated the process to obtain approval from the Environment Department for the highway, reported NBT. 

“The expressway will comprise a total of 14 interchanges,” NEWS 18 quoted MSRDC official. As per reports, the cost of the project is estimated to be ₹68,000 crore and will require 3,792 hectares of land, which includes 146 hectares of forest land.

On the other hand, the already sanctioned Mumbai-Goa Expressway will most likely be operational from December this year. 

Meanwhile, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the state-government-led National Highway Public Works Department (NH PWD) are carrying out the construction work on the Mumbai-Goa Highway. The Mumbai-Goa Highway 66, which covers a distance of 460 km, is divided into 11 “packages” or phases.

The project, initially scheduled for completion in 2016, reportedly   completed 99 percent of its 42 km stretch by between Panvel and Kasu. Initially planned to be a two-lane project was upgraded to four lanes in 2011.