Slew of road projects will make Nashik major export-import hub: Gadkari

Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, on Sunday said efforts are on to develop infrastructure to make Nashik a leading region in the country for export-import of agricultural produce as well as automobile and other manufacturing items. He shared this while inaugurating some projects and laying foundation stones for upcoming ones.

“Rapid development, especially of good roads, will bring about employment opportunities. We want export of grapes, onions etc as well as automobile sector items to take place directly from here”, he said, adding that efforts are on to make Nashik a leading region for export-import using road, rail and air.

He also launched and laid foundation stones of 226 kilometres of road worth Rs1,830 crore during the function held in Igatpuri – a town and hill station in Maharashtra.

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“We are performing the bhoomipujan of seven road works with a total length of 205 kilometres. These projects are worth Rs 1,577 crore. They include works in Dhule Lok Sabha area as well”, he added saying that the work on six-laning the Gonde-Pimpri Sado section will also be initiated.

The longest serving Minister for Road Transport and Highways also said that the commissioning of the Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Expressway will bring traffic pressure at Vadpe, where the Mumbai-Agra Highway and upcoming Mumbai-Delhi Expressway will converge.

“Vadpe will become a very important junction in the future. It will directly benefit JNPT Port near Mumbai. It will speed up export-import”, he emphasized.

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Moreover, stressing the importance of Vadpe in Bhiwandi city, he added “From Vadpe, we will reach Delhi, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in quick time. This will increase the importance of Nahsik”.

In addition, some INR 10,000 crore of works of the proposed Rs 80000-crore Surat-Chennai Expressway, will pass through Nashik, he said.

The Minister also mentioned that the expressway will be 1,290 kilometres long and motorists can reach the two cities in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu in 10 hours.

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“It will pass through Nashik, Ahmednagar, Beed, Osmanabad and Solapur districts in Maharashtra. Of the 482 kilometres of the Surat-Chennai Expressway in Maharashtra, 122 kilometres will be in Nashik district”, Gadkari asserted.

“There will be scope for industries, logistic parts etc along the route”, he further included overall highlighting the crucial role of Maharashtra.

Particularly, he announced that a 6-kilometre long double flyover from Nashik Road to Dwarka Chowk worth Rs 1,600 crore on the Nashik-Pune Highway has been approved.