To enable a smooth commute from Thane to Agra via Nashik, the foundation stone for the widening of the four-lane Thane-Vadape Highway to an eight-lane highway was recently laid by Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has appointed MEP Infrastructure Developers for the work. The project is expected to be completed in three years on a hybrid annuity model (HAM).“We are proud of this achievement, which reaffirms the positivity of HAM that has been propagated by the ministry,” said Jayant Mhaiskar, Chairman and Managing Director, MEP Infrastructure Developers. “The financial viability of such projects will ensure the speedy growth and expansion of our road infrastructure and set the country on track to become one of the most developed nations in the world.”The old NH-3, known as the Mumbai-Agra Road, is a busy corridor with exceptionally high traffic that connects Mumbai, Thane, Nashik, Dhule, Indore, Gwalior, Dholpur and Agra. The project consists of widening and construction of the existing four-lane road to an eight-lane road with cement concrete pavement for 23.798 km.The Rs 11.82-billion project will be executed with 60 per cent of the cost being borne by the company and 40 per cent by NHAI. The Thane-Vadape corridor will get a railway over-bridge at Pimplas in Bhiwandi, two new major bridges on Thane creek at Kasheli and Kalwa, two minor bridges at Pimplas and Anjur in Bhiwandi, 84 culverts, a grade separator at Vadape, eight vehicular underpasses at strategic locations, a foot overbridge at Majiwada, a toll plaza at Kharegaon, a 35.293-km service road and a 6.666-km slip road.In addition, Fadnavis and Gadkari also laid the foundation stone for the widening of the two-lane Shahapur-Murbad-Karjat-Khopoli Highway (NH 548) to four lanes.