Eastern Freeway to be named after late Vilasrao Deshmukh

The Eastern Freeway in Mumbai will be named after late chief minister and Congress leader Vilasrao Deshmukh, the Maharashtra government said on Wednesday.

Making the announcement after attending the state Cabinet meeting here, deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar recalled Deshmukh's contribution for the project.

The Congress is one of the constituents of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, along with the Shiv Sena and the NCP.

The 16.8-km Eastern Freeway connects P D'Mello Road in South Mumbai to the Eastern Express Highway (EEH) at suburban Chembur.

The project was inaugurated by then Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan of Congress.

"Eastern Freeway in Mumbai will be named after Vilasrao Deshmukh who had played a key role in conceptualising and inaugurating the project," Pawar told reporters.

He said the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has handed over the project to the Mumbai civic body, which is ruled by the Shiv Sena.

"Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said (in the Cabinet meeting) that he will ask the civic body to ensure renaming of the Eastern Freeway," Pawar added.