Four Vidarbha expressway projects costing more than ₹46,000 crore have received administrative approval from the Maharashtra government, with tenders for their construction expected to be issued within 15 days, according to the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC).
The projects will extend the connectivity network around the Nagpur–Mumbai Samruddhi Expressway and link Nagpur with Gondia and Chandrapur, while improving road access between Bhandara and Gadchiroli. A fourth expressway between Navegaon Mor and Surjagad is planned to strengthen mineral transportation in the region.
The government approval follows the MSRDC’s submission of cost proposals after the alignments for the three Samruddhi-linked corridors were approved. Senior MSRDC officials told Loksatta that the administrative sanction now allows the corporation to begin the tendering process for construction.
The Bhandara–Gadchiroli project will be a 94-kilometre, six-lane expressway, with an approved cost of ₹10,145.59 crore. The 204-kilometre Nagpur–Chandrapur expressway will have four lanes and has been approved at a cost of ₹17,847.86 crore. The 162-kilometre Nagpur–Gondia expressway will be six lanes and has received approval for ₹14,884.27 crore.
The fourth project, the 85-kilometre Navegaon Mor–Surajgad expressway, has been approved at a cost of ₹3,429.21 crore. MSRDC has proposed the route as a dedicated infrastructure link to support mineral transportation in Vidarbha, where Surajgad is an important mining area.
The four projects together represent an expansion of the state’s strategy to connect more districts to the 701-kilometre Samruddhi Expressway. The original corridor was built to reduce travel time between Nagpur and Mumbai to about eight hours. The new links are intended to extend that network towards eastern Maharashtra, including districts that are not directly served by the existing expressway.
The approvals also show that the projects remain at the pre-construction stage. Administrative sanction confirms the government’s approval of the proposed expenditure, but construction can begin only after tenders are issued, contracts are awarded and other implementation requirements are completed. The next immediate milestone is the planned release of tenders within 15 days.
According to the report, MSRDC expects the four corridors to accelerate development in Vidarbha by improving passenger and freight connectivity. The project details released so far establish the approved lengths, lane configurations and costs; the report does not provide construction completion dates or details of the contractors who may execute the work.
