Centre Revises Bharatmala Plan; Chennai–Surat Expressway to End at Nashik

The Union government has revised the alignment of the proposed Chennai–Surat National Expressway under the Bharatmala programme, significantly trimming the project’s northern reach. The six lane, access controlled corridor will now terminate at Nashik instead of extending up to Surat, bringing down the total length of the project to around 900 km from the originally planned 1,271 km.

Officials familiar with the development said the decision was taken after prolonged difficulties in acquiring land along the Nashik–Surat stretch. The section also faced delays in securing environmental approvals, which slowed progress and raised concerns over timelines. Following multiple reviews, the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways decided to revise the scope to ensure smoother execution of the remaining corridor.

The Chennai–Surat Expressway was earlier estimated to cost around ₹50,000 crore. With the northern portion being dropped, both the overall length and project cost are expected to reduce, although revised cost estimates are yet to be formally announced. The move is seen as an attempt to balance ambitious infrastructure planning with on ground feasibility.

Under the initial plan, the long distance expressway was designed to pass through key cities including Surat, Nashik, Ahmednagar, Solapur, Kalaburagi, Kurnool, Kadapa and Tirupati, providing high speed connectivity across Gujarat, Maharashtra, Telangana and Tamil Nadu. The restructuring removes the Surat–Nashik section while retaining the core central and southern stretches of the alignment.

To address the connectivity gap created by the revision, the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation will develop a separate greenfield expressway. This new road will link Bharvir Khurd on the Samruddhi Mahamarg with Tawa village on NH 48, the Mumbai–Ahmedabad Highway, serving traffic movement needs similar to the earlier alignment.

Despite the cutback, officials stressed that the broader objective of the project remains unchanged. The expressway will continue to be developed as a six lane, access controlled highway designed for speeds of up to 120 kmph.

Once completed, it is expected to significantly improve long haul freight movement and strengthen road connectivity between central and southern India, reinforcing the Bharatmala vision of a modern national highway network.