The long-awaited Mumbai-Goa highway project, officially called National Highway 66, is expected to be finished by June 2025, according to an announcement by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari. He said the new highway will reduce the travel time between Mumbai and Goa from 10-12 hours to just six hours.
The project has faced several delays over the years. The main reasons included problems with internal stakeholder conflicts, land acquisition and legal hurdles. But Gadkari assured that these problems have now been solved, and work is moving ahead quickly.
“This highway will greatly improve connectivity in the Konkan region and help boost tourism and the local economy,” he said during a press conference.
The completion of NH-66 will greatly improve the pothole-ridden roads and traffic congestion that mark the current route. The minister said that India’s road system would manage to overtake that of the US in the next two years.
Along with the highway upgrade, Gadkari said the government is also introducing a new toll collection system. Instead of stopping at toll booths, vehicles will be tracked using satellite technology. Toll charges will be automatically deducted from the owner’s bank account based on how far they travel.
This system is expected to be launched in the next two weeks. It aims to make highway travel smoother and faster by removing the need for vehicles to stop at toll plazas.
With this new highway and toll system, the government hopes to make travel between Mumbai and Goa faster, more efficient and hassle-free for everyone.
(With inputs from multiple news reports)