Mumbai-Goa Highway cost jumps 48% to Rs 16,909 crore: One package up 126%, Rs 11,577 crore spent, yet parts remain unfinished; RTI reveals why Konkan commuters are still waiting

The long-delayed Mumbai-Goa highway widening project has seen its sanctioned cost rise by nearly 48%, with the four-laning of 355 km of NH-66 in Maharashtra now estimated at Rs 16,909.22 crore, according to fresh information obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act and cited by TOI.

The revised cost is around Rs 5,500 crore higher than the original sanctioned amount of Rs 11,409.14 crore for 10 four-laning packages. The RTI information was obtained by activist Jeetendra Ghadge of The Young Whistleblowers Foundation from the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

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Mumbai-Goa Highway cost: Rs 11,577 crore already spent

The RTI data shows that Rs 11,577 crore has already been spent on the 10 packages. This expenditure has crossed the project's original sanctioned cost, even though several stretches of the highway are still incomplete.

The sharpest increase has been recorded on the Parshuram Ghat-Arawali package in the Chiplun-Ratnagiri belt. Its sanctioned cost has risen from Rs 983 crore to Rs 2,226 crore, marking an increase of around 126%.

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For motorists, the cost escalation comes against the backdrop of continuing work on parts of the Mumbai-Goa highway, with unfinished stretches and traffic bottlenecks affecting journeys between Mumbai and the Konkan region.

Why has the Mumbai-Goa highway project been delayed?

The four-laning project has faced delays related to land acquisition, pre-construction activities, statutory clearances and financial difficulties faced by contractors.

The project has been implemented in phases, with different stretches handled by different agencies. Officials clarified that the Panvel-Indapur stretch, measuring 84 km, was started in 2011 by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

The Indapur-Zarap stretch, covering 355 km across 10 packages, was started in 2018 by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) through the Maharashtra Public Works Department (PWD), which is acting as its agency.

Mumbai-Goa Highway delays affect Konkan commuters

The prolonged construction has become particularly visible during Ganeshotsav, when lakhs of people from Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra travel to their ancestral villages in Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg.

The journey, which can take around seven hours in normal conditions, can become considerably longer when traffic builds up around unfinished sections, narrow carriageways and construction zones.

The issue has also attracted judicial scrutiny. In January 2024, the Bombay High Court observed that the prolonged delay in NH-66 widening and repair works was causing hardship to people and adding to the burden on the state exchequer through rising construction costs.

RTI activist questions accountability

Ghadge has questioned how responsibility for the prolonged delay is divided between the agencies executing different sections of the highway.

“When a project of this scale has remained incomplete for nearly 15 years despite thousands of crores being sanctioned and spent, the government must answer a basic question: who is ultimately accountable for the delay?” Ghadge said.

He has also raised concerns over the continuing impact of the delays on residents and travellers in the Konkan region.

The latest RTI figures have renewed questions over the project's rising cost and prolonged execution timeline, particularly as expenditure has already crossed the original sanctioned amount while parts of the highway remain unfinished.

Mumbai-Goa Highway vs Samruddhi Mahamarg

The long-running Mumbai-Goa highway project has also drawn comparisons with Maharashtra's 701-km Samruddhi Mahamarg.

The Samruddhi Mahamarg was developed as a new expressway and opened in phases, with its first 520 km becoming operational in December 2022. The complete corridor spans 701 km.

The comparison has brought renewed attention to the contrasting timelines of the two major road projects, although the Mumbai-Goa project involves widening an existing highway and has faced its own land acquisition, clearance and contracting challenges.

Mumbai-Goa Highway completion

The latest RTI disclosure puts the spotlight on the gap between expenditure and completion of the four-laning project.

While the government has cited land-related issues, clearances and contractor-related difficulties for delays, commuters continue to await the completion of the remaining stretches.

For Konkan travellers, the key question remains when the long-promised four-lane Mumbai-Goa highway will provide a more consistent and predictable journey between Mumbai and the region.


Inputs from TOI