Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed appreciation for the Union Cabinet’s nod to the six-lane greenfield Nashik-Solapur-Akkalkot corridor. The project, in line with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, is set to reduce travel time, enhance west-east connectivity, boost logistics, and create numerous job opportunities. The 374-km corridor’s approval by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by PM Narendra Modi, involves a total capital cost of Rs 19,142 crore.
The corridor will link Nashik, Ahilyanagar, and Solapur, aiming to expedite integrated transport infrastructure development following the PM Gati Shakti framework. Connecting the west coast to the east coast, the greenfield route will intersect with major expressways like the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway and the Samruddhi Expressway. Additionally, ongoing work on a four-lane route from Chennai to Hasapur, once integrated with the new corridor, is expected to reduce travel distance by 201 km and travel time by 17 hours.
The Nashik-Akkalkot corridor, passing through Solapur, will improve logistics efficiency for goods movement to and from key National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation nodes. It is anticipated to play a vital role in the development of the proposed Pune-Nashik Expressway. The project, part of a new expressway network by NICDC and the Maharashtra government, will feature closed tolling facilities, ensuring an average operating speed of 60 kmph and a design speed of up to 100 kmph.
