MoRTH approves ₹12,460-cr road projects in Maharashtra

The Union transport ministry has announced the launching of ₹12,460 crore road projects in Maharashtra, which include an access-controlled Aurangabad-Pune expressway involving an investment of ₹10,000 crore and Dhule-Nandurbar NH project worth ₹2,460 crore in Jalgaon district. The Aurangabad-Pune expressway will reduce the travel time for 225 kms from five hours to 1.15 minutes at a speed of 140 kmph. The highway projects are aimed at boosting economic development in these districts, which in turn will improve the socio-economic conditions of the masses living in these areas. The Union transport minister has planned to further push the Buldana pattern initiated by him in 2016-17 where road infrastructure has improved water availability in the backward areas of Solapur and Marathwada districts. This is a project where contractors of NHAI are allowed to extract soil and stones by deepening the lakes and water bodies without paying any royalty. As of now this unique project has changed lives as 73 villages that were facing water scarcity in Solapur district and are now water surplus areas.