Mumbai-Goa highway to be converted to 4-lane by 2018

Mumbai-Goa National Highway

The delayed project of converting the Mumbai-Goa National Highway, National Highway-66, into a four-lane one has got a new lease of life after coming under the scanner of Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself, with work expected to begin shortly.

The Rs 942.69 crore project was sanctioned in January 2011, but got delayed due to various reasons. PM Modi reviewed the delayed project with senior state government officials through the PRAGATI platform on Wednesday. After the review, PM Modi asked authorities to speed up the work on the highway and finish it by December 2018.

The work on converting the highway will be done in parts. The work on the 84 km stretch from Panvel to Indapur – which includes six major and 23 minor bridges, one flyover and pedestrian and vehicular underpasses – will be converted into four-lane by December 2017. Around 28km of that stretch is already a four-lane road. This stretch will also have two toll plazas, one at Kharpada and the other at Sukeli.

The 366 km stretch from Indapur to Zarap will be a major challenge for the authorities as it receives heavy vehicular traffic and comprises of dangerous ghat areas. The stretch between Zarap and Patradevi on the Goa borders is already a four-laned road.

With over 120 deadly accidents recorded on the stretch last year, the heavily used Mumbai-Goa National Highway is in a dire need of repair and extension.