Maharashtra coastal road on lines of US Pacific Highway

Shiv Kumar
Tribune News Service
Mumbai, March 8

The Maharashtra Government has given the green signal to develop a coastal highway between Mumbai and Goa on the lines of the US Pacific Highway at a cost of Rs 3,500 crore.

According to a budget proposal cleared by the state cabinet, the existing single-lane coastal road between Rewas in Raigad district outside Mumbai and the Redi port near Maharashtra’s border with Goa will be upgraded to a concrete two-lane marine highway.

“The coastal highway will be a concrete road and its width will be increased from 18-20 metres to 40 metres. We will begin construction of 30 km of bridges across creeks and rivers which will be completed in five years’ time,” an official from the state public works department said.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who also holds the finance portfolio, said the development of the coastal highway would improve access of several villages in the Konkan to tourism.

According to state government sources here, land acquisition for widening the highway has been completed and construction work has already started.

Currently, it takes around 12 hours to cover the 590 km distance between Mumbai and Goa. The wider coastal highway is expected to reduce the time required to seven hours, according to officials.