Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis jointly launched the second phase of the Samruddhi Highway in Shirdi. Following the conclusion of the program in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde proceeded to Shirdi.
The newly completed stretch between Shirdi and Igatpuri spans a distance of 80 kilometres, offering significant advantages to passengers travelling from Mumbai and neighbouring cities to Shirdi. Furthermore, farmers will also reap the benefits of this development. Additionally, the highway now enables uninterrupted travel from Nagpur to Igatpuri.
In December of last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the initial segment of the extensive Samruddhi Highway, spanning a remarkable 520 kilometres between Shirdi and Nagpur. Now, with the recent inauguration of the project's second phase, the entire stretch connecting Nagpur to Bharveer village in Igatpuri taluka, totalling 600 kilometres, has been officially opened to the public.
Since the inauguration of the first phase of the project, a number of accidents have occurred. In response, a committee headed by the Regional Transport Office (RTO), state traffic police, and an NGO has recommended that the MSRDC undertake the painting of certain areas. Additionally, instructions have been issued to the police to install devices that generate siren sounds, aiming to ensure driver vigilance.