Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi E-way likely to get wayside hubs within six months

Mumbai: Nearly two years after prime minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg connecting Mumbai with Nagpur, wayside amenities for motorists such as fuel stations, garages, eateries, public conveniences and first aid clinics are missing, heightening the risk of accidents along the way. Desperate to fill the gap, the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has initiated a fresh attempt to rope in private players to develop these amenities and the first facilities are expected to come up in the next six months.

The Samruddhi Mahamarg spans 701 km, of which 625 km is currently open to traffic barring the stretch between Igatpuri and Mumbai. Since the entire route is access-controlled, and no wayside amenities are present along the way, motorists have no option but to exit the expressway and scout for eateries, public conveniences and garages. Worse, the absence of wayside hubs with parking facilities leaves motorists vulnerable to highway hypnosis, wherein they go into a trance-like state while driving, leaving them less alert and heightening the risks of fatal accidents.

“Highway hypnosis is one of the prime causes of mishaps and accidents on Samruddhi Expressway,” said an official from the State Highway Police, requesting anonymity.

MSRDC made the first attempt at developing wayside amenities in mid-2023, nearly six months after the prime minister inaugurated the stretch between Nagpur and Shirdi. Four locations were selected for developing these amenities, two in each direction, in Aurangabad and Nashik districts. Each wayside hub was to be spread over 10-12 hectares and include fuel stations, parking lots, garages, eateries and other facilities.

Tenders were floated for establishing these hubs in July 2023, but the process was subsequently cancelled due to technical reasons.

Now, MSRDC has come up with a fresh plan to establish 16 wayside hubs – eight in either direction – which would include different parking lots for cars, buses and trucks, a garage for minor repairs, toilets, restaurants, first aid clinics, staff rooms and other amenities. Each hub’s area, however, has been reduced to four hectares, barring one covering three hectares.

“Since the hubs will cater to drive-ins, we will follow a 3:1 ratio – that is, three hectares will be dedicated for parking while amenities will be housed in the remaining one hectare,” said an MSRDC official.

All the hubs would be integrated with fuel stations, for which oil marketing companies have been allotted land at 24 locations along the highway. “The remaining eight fuel stations will remain standalone fuel stations at this stage,” said the official quoted earlier.

Tenders for establishing the 16 hubs were floated earlier this month, said sources. Once the bidding process is complete and private players are appointed, they would have to establish the amenities within three months.

“Each firm will be given rights to operate hubs for a period of 60 years. They can initially start offering services out of portable cabins and move into permanent structures once they are readied at their own cost,” said the official.