Eastern Vidarbha is now embarking on a massive connectivity revolution. The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has initiated three expressway projects worth Rs 56,275 crore, considered extensions of the Hindu Hriday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg. These projects are being combined to form what officials call Maharashtra’s “Eastern Corridor,” connecting border districts directly to Nagpur and further to Mumbai.
The most significant project is the Nagpur-Chandrapur Expressway. This 191-kilometer-long route begins from Seldoh in Nagpur district and extends to Navegaon-More in Pombhurna taluka of Chandrapur district, with an additional 12-kilometer connector to Chandrapur city. This four-lane, access-controlled expressway will be built at a cost of Rs 21,702 crore. MSRDC officials have described it as one of the region’s most ambitious corridors, and the detailed project report (DPR) is currently being prepared.
The Nagpur–Gondia Expressway is the second major link in this network. The 162-kilometer route includes a 144-kilometer main road, a 12-kilometer Tiroda connector, and a 3-kilometer Gondia bypass. The project, costing Rs 21,670 crore, will begin at Gavsi Manapur village in Nagpur and reach Sawari village in Gondia district. Last month, the state cabinet approved Rs 3,162 crore for the project. The expressway will pass through 117 villages in Nagpur, Bhandara, and Gondia districts and will require approximately 1,604 hectares of land. More than 95% of the joint measurement survey has been completed. Upon completion, the Nagpur–Gondia travel time will be reduced from three hours to just 1.15 hours.
The Bhandara–Gadchiroli Expressway will be 94 kilometers long and has an estimated cost of Rs 12,903 crore. Approved in December 2023, the project will begin at the Savarkhanda interchange on the proposed Nagpur-Gondia Expressway and extend to Armori in Gadchiroli district. It will require 1,013.58 hectares of land, and land acquisition will cost Rs 534 crore. Final work orders have been issued for the construction of all three packages, allowing for rapid commencement of work.
The three expressways are targeted for completion within 30 months. Once completed, they will provide seamless connectivity from Mumbai or Nagpur to Chandrapur, Gondia, and Gadchiroli, connecting eastern Vidarbha to the state’s mainstream development. Officials say these projects will not only reduce travel time and freight movement, but will also expand economic opportunities in the region, attract investment, and significantly improve accessibility in this mineral-rich but infrastructure-poor region.
This investment of Rs 56,275 crore is one of the biggest infrastructure plans ever for Vidarbha, which vows to transform the development landscape of the region by bridging the east-west divide.
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