The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the construction of a six-lane, access-controlled greenfield corridor connecting Nashik, Solapur and Akkalkot in Maharashtra at a total cost of ₹19,142 crore.
The 374-kilometre-long project will be developed on a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) toll mode and aims to improve regional and inter-state connectivity while strengthening India’s integrated transport infrastructure under the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan.
The proposed corridor will connect major regional centres including Nashik, Ahilyanagar and Solapur, with onward connectivity to Kurnool. It is planned to link with key national highways and expressways, including the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway near the Vadhawan Port interchange, the Agra-Mumbai corridor at Nashik, and the Samruddhi Mahamarg near Pangri. Once completed, the corridor will provide seamless connectivity between India’s west and east coasts.
According to the government, the project is expected to significantly improve travel efficiency by reducing travel time from 31 hours to around 17 hours (about 45 per cent) and shortening the travel distance by approximately 201 kilometres. It will also enhance logistics efficiency for freight movement, particularly for cargo linked to major National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC) nodes such as Kopparthy and Orvakal.
The Nashik-Talegaon Dighe section of the project will also cater to the requirement for a Pune-Nashik Expressway, which has been identified by NICDC and is being pursued by the Maharashtra government.
Designed as a high-speed, access-controlled corridor, the highway will support average vehicular speeds of 60 kmph, with a design speed of up to 100 kmph. The project is expected to reduce congestion, improve road safety, lower operating costs, and ensure uninterrupted movement of passenger and freight traffic.
The corridor is also expected to contribute to regional economic development by improving basic infrastructure across Nashik, Ahilyanagar, Dharashiv and Solapur districts.
In terms of employment generation, the project is estimated to create around 251 lakh man-days of direct employment and nearly 314 lakh man-days of indirect employment. Additional job opportunities are also expected to be generated through increased economic activity along the corridor.
