Cabinet clears 6-lane Nashik-Akkalkot highway; NH-326 upgrade in Odisha

The Cabinet has cleared two major road projects, including a six-lane Nashik-Solapur-Akkalkot highway in Maharashtra and the widening of NH-326 in Odisha, with an estimated cost of ₹1,526.21 crore

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Wednesday approved the construction of a six-lane, access-controlled greenfield highway between Nashik and Akkalkot via Solapur in Maharashtra.

 

The project will be developed on a build-operate-transfer (BOT-Toll) basis and will cover a total length of 374 km. The estimated capital cost is ₹19,142 crore.

 

Key cities and strategic connectivity

 

The corridor will connect major regional centres such as Nashik, Ahilyanagar and Solapur, with further linkage to Kurnool.

 

The Nashik-Akkalkot corridor will link with several important highways and expressways:

• Delhi-Mumbai Expressway near the Vadhawan port interchange

• Agra-Mumbai corridor at Nashik (NH-60 at Adegaon)

 

• Samruddhi Mahamarg at Pangri, near Nashik

 

The six-lane access-controlled corridor aims to improve travel efficiency. Once completed, it is expected to cut travel time by around 17 hours and reduce travel distance by 201 km.

 

The road is designed for an average speed of 60 kmph, with a design speed of 100 kmph. Overall travel time is expected to fall by about 45 per cent, from nearly 31 hours to around 17 hours.

 

The corridor will support safer, uninterrupted traffic, reduce congestion and lower vehicle operating costs. It is expected to strengthen basic infrastructure and support economic growth in Nashik, Ahilyanagar, Dharashiv and Solapur districts.

 

The project is expected to generate 25 million man-days of direct employment and around 31.3 million man-days of indirect employment   

 

Cabinet approves NH-326 widening project in Odisha

 

The Union Cabinet also approved the widening and strengthening of National Highway-326 in Odisha. The project involves upgrading the existing two-lane road to a two-lane highway with paved shoulders.

 

The stretch runs from km 68.600 to km 311.700 and will be executed under the NH(O) programme using the EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) mode.

 

The total capital cost of the NH-326 project is ₹1,526.21 crore, which includes the civil construction cost of  ₹966.79 crore

 

Benefits for Southern Odisha

 

The upgraded highway will make travel faster, safer and more reliable. It will support the overall development of southern Odisha, especially the districts of Gajapati, Rayagada and Koraput. Better road connectivity will help local residents, industries, educational institutions and tourist centres by improving access to markets, healthcare and jobs.

 

The upgraded corridor will improve connectivity with major highways such as NH-26, NH-59 and NH-16, and link to the Raipur-Visakhapatnam corridor.   

 

Implementation and timeline

 

The project will be completed in EPC mode using modern construction and quality-control methods. Monitoring will be done through tools like drone surveys, Network Survey Vehicles and the Project Monitoring Information System (PMIS).

 

Construction is targeted to finish within 24 months, followed by a five-year defect liability and maintenance period.