NEW DELHI, Dec 31: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved two major national highways projects including the widening and strengthening of NH-326 in Odisha and the construction of a six-lane, access-controlled greenfield highway corridor linking Nashik, Solapur and Akkalkot in Maharashtra.
According to an official statement, the 374-km Nashik-Akkalkot corridor will be developed under the Build-Operate-Transfer (Toll) model at an estimated capital cost of Rs 19,142 crore. The corridor is aimed at improving regional connectivity, cutting travel time significantly and strengthening integrated transport infrastructure under the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan.
The proposed corridor will link several major national transport routes, enhancing east-west connectivity across the country. It will connect to the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway near the Vadhawan Port interchange, the Agra-Mumbai corridor at Nashik through NH-60 (Adegaon), and the Samruddhi Mahamarg at Pangri near Nashik.
Once completed, the corridor will enable through connectivity from India’s west coast to the east coast. On the eastern side, four-lane highway corridors are already under development from Chennai to Hasapur on the Maharashtra border via Thiruvallur, Renigunta, Kadapa and Kurnool, covering around 700 km. Together, these routes are expected to form a continuous high-capacity transport spine for passenger and freight movement.
The six-lane access-controlled highway is designed to support an average vehicle speed of 60 km/h, with a design speed of 100 km/h. The project is expected to reduce travel time by nearly 17 hours and shorten the travel distance by 201 km, representing a reduction of about 45 per cent compared with existing routes.
The improved connectivity will boost logistics efficiency for freight linked to major National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC) nodes, including Kopparthy and Orvakal. The Nashik-Talegaon Dighe stretch will also address long-standing requirements for a Pune-Nashik Expressway, identified by NICDC and being pursued by the Maharashtra government.
Beyond transport efficiency, the project is expected to deliver wider economic benefits. It will generate an estimated 251 lakh man-days of direct employment and around 314 lakh man-days of indirect employment, while supporting industrial growth in the districts of Nashik, Ahilyanagar, Dharashiv and Solapur.
The official statement said the project in Odisha include upgrading the existing two-lane stretch to a two-lane highway with paved shoulder from 68.600 km to 311.700 km under the EPC mode. The total capital cost for the project is ₹1,526.21 crore, which includes a civil construction cost of ₹966.79 crore.
The statement said the upgradation of NH-326 would make travel faster, safer, and more reliable, resulting in overall development of southern Odisha, particularly benefiting the districts of Gajapati, Rayagada, and Koraput.
Improved road connectivity would directly benefit local communities, industries, educational institutions, and tourism centres by enhancing access to markets, healthcare, and employment opportunities, thereby contributing to the region’s inclusive growth, it added.
(Manas Dasgupta)