Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari announced on Wednesday that he would not attend the inauguration of the Mumbai-Goa highway as he was 'ashamed' that the project had taken so long to complete. Speaking at the inauguration of a six-lane elevated road corridor at Porvorim near Panaji, Gadkari expressed frustration over the prolonged delay in widening the Mumbai-Goa highway. According to PTI, he said he wanted to 'set a record' by blacklisting the maximum number of contractors and suspending officials found responsible for delays or poor-quality execution within a year. 'I had announced (earlier) that I would not come for the inauguration of the (widened) Mumbai-Goa highway because I felt ashamed that it had been delayed so much,' Gadkari stated. Rather than attending a formal inauguration, Gadkari said he would personally inspect the road when he travels from Mumbai to Goa by car in October, and assess whether the road had finally been made convenient for motorists and other travellers. 'I would land at the Mumbai airport in October, and travel by road to Goa to personally inspect the highway and assess whether the journey has been made convenient for travellers,' he said.
Gadkari revealed that a meeting on the highway was held with officials on Tuesday, September 8 and he was informed that around 93-94 per cent of the project had been completed. As reported by PTI, the Mumbai-Goa highway widening project has faced repeated delays and missed several deadlines, with work beginning in 2010-11 and the original completion deadline set for 2016. Despite the work being complete on this roughly 440-kilometre stretch, problems such as potholes, waterlogging, repairs and traffic jams are being reported in several places. The 555-km highway includes a 460-km stretch through Maharashtra, with work being undertaken by the National Highways Authority of India and the Maharashtra Public Works Department. The Centre told Parliament in 2024 that land acquisition issues and financial difficulties faced by some contractors had affected the project. Gadkari had earlier cited legal disputes and internal conflicts over land acquisition as some of the reasons for the delay, with waterlogging in low-lying stretches during the monsoon also affecting construction and road usability. In March, he said forest clearances had delayed work on some portions of the highway, stating 'There are a few portions where roads are incomplete because they pass through forest areas. We are taking clarifications first-hand and resolving these issues in coordination with the concerned authorities.'
Gadkari announced his department had already set seven world records for various works, and now wanted to set another by taking action against the maximum number of contractors and officials responsible for delays or poor execution within a year. According to PTI, he said the government would continue taking stringent action against contractors and officials responsible for delays and substandard execution of infrastructure projects. 'Now I want to set a record of blacklisting the maximum number of contractors and taking action against them, as well as suspending officials, within a year. I am not going to stop doing this now,' Gadkari emphasized. The proposed action includes blacklisting and debarring contractors responsible for delays or poor execution, taking action against contractors who fail to meet project requirements, and suspending officials responsible for lapses in infrastructure projects. Gadkari has also indicated strict action against contractors and officials responsible for delays and poor-quality work, stating there should be no compromise on the quality of road construction. His latest warning extends beyond the Mumbai-Goa project, with the minister saying he wants to take strict action against those responsible for delays and poor-quality infrastructure work across all projects.
Gadkari called for the development of roadside facilities that showcase Goa's architecture, cuisine, handloom and handicraft traditions, as reported by PTI. He suggested that existing petrol and diesel stations should be supplemented with facilities for biofuels, electric vehicles and other alternative fuels. 'These facilities should offer visitors an opportunity to experience Goan food and purchase the state's handloom and handicraft products, giving tourists a distinctive experience as they travel through Goa,' Gadkari said. The Union Minister urged Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and local legislators to work towards developing the highway as a 'green highway', drawing on the model of an oxygen park developed in Nagpur. He called for scientific landscaping along the highway rather than arbitrary tree planting, with studies determining which flowering trees and species would be most suitable for carbon dioxide absorption and oxygen release. 'Proper study should be conducted to determine which flowering trees and species should be planted, and which species absorb more carbon dioxide and release oxygen,' the minister emphasized. Gadkari stressed infrastructure's role in attracting investment and creating jobs, while advocating improvements in Goa's traffic management, waste disposal and pollution control, and greater use of electric, hydrogen and flex-fuel technologies.
Gadkari's remarks came after the inauguration of a 5.15-km, six-lane elevated corridor at Porvorim, which gives the previously two-lane road a 10-lane capacity with four lanes at ground level and six lanes above. According to PTI, the new corridor is expected to ease congestion in the area and reduce travel time between Mapusa and Panaji from around 40 minutes to about 10 minutes during peak hours. The corridor was built at a cost of around ₹641 crore and forms part of the Mumbai-Goa highway, or NH-66. Toll collection also began on the highway at the Kharpada toll plaza in May, despite ongoing work and improvements in some parts of the project. An overpass built for monkeys on the highway in 2021 has also collapsed, raising questions about safety. The minister also pushed for wider adoption of alternative fuels and technologies such as electric, hydrogen and flex-fuel systems, saying these would contribute to lowering pollution. Gadkari has repeatedly stressed the need for timely execution and quality construction in highway projects, having previously set completion targets that were not met, including saying in April 2015 that the long-delayed highway would likely be completed by June that year, and in March 2023 that the Mumbai-Goa National Highway would be completed by December 2023 and opened to traffic in January 2024.
