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An expressway bigger and faster than any before

Expressways are not new, but the concept of an expressway with a design for 150 Kmph speed and carriageway of 15m on either side with median of 15m for a total distance of 701 Km, is revolutionary to say the least. The Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg not only triumphs for its distance but also for its vision. It boasts of having India’s largest wildlife overpass and the country’s widest road tunnels. While the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) deserves praise for envisioning the country's longest and fastest expressway to connect Mumbai with Nagpur, Afcons holds a special place as the contractor with requisite skills to make the radical ideas work.

Two packages, Many records
The Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg is divided into 16 packages and Afcons worked on two packages — PKG 2 at Wardha and PKG 14 at Igatpuri. From becoming the first contractor to complete Pavement Quality Concrete (PQC) of an entire package (PKG-2), it emerged as the first contractor to complete its work ahead of schedule. Also, the twin tunnels at Igatpuri, in PKG-14, were completed in less than two years which is a national record. The milestones were achieved despite numerous challenges and the ruthless onslaught of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Massive excavation, Multiple structures
The swift completion of PKG-2 (two months ahead of schedule) was the result of months of back-breaking work. “We formed an excellent team for the massive volume of earthwork involved in the project. We assigned dedicated teams for permission-related tasks which were regularly monitored. We received tremendous support from the procurement team and all other support units from headquarters,” said Abhijit Chakraborty, project manager of Samruddhi Mahamarg PKG-2.

The 58.4 Km stretch from village Khadki Amgaon to village Pimpalgaon, at Wardha, involved 10 million cum of open hill cutting, construction of two wildlife overpasses, one rotary and two interchanges, 18 million cum of earthwork, and erection of numerous steel structures, including major and minor bridges.

For the entire Afcons team, it's been a relentless and challenging project. The number of structures in the package provides insight into the quantum and complexity of work. We have always focused on total customer satisfaction, and on time, or, before schedule delivery. We received tremendous support from our client MSRDC, the local administration, which enabled us to speed up execution despite the pandemic. I am immensely proud of the team that has delivered this project ahead of schedule despite numerous challenges.

— Krishnamurthy, Project Controller

Relief turns into punishment
“The complexity of structures was just one of the many challenges. In the initial days of the project, we were faced with acute water shortage. Then we discovered wells along the alignment. We placed motors on location and depended on local assistance. Fortunately, heavy rains began in 2019 and all the wells were filled up allowing us to use the water. Besides that, we had also dug up boreholes every 5-6 kilometres to fulfil our water requirement,” Chakraborty recalled.

But what seemed like a relief soon turned into punishment. “The heavy monsoons stretched itself for two consecutive years and badly hindered our construction activities. The dry spells were interrupted by the pandemic restrictions,” the project manager said.

Innovation compensates for lost time
“We dreaded a labour exodus in the middle of this crisis. Our labour strength was around 3,500-4,000. With help from headquarters, we announced incentives and made proper quarantine and Covid-prevention arrangements. We were able to retain a large portion of the workforce and began work in a planned manner such that the continuity of activities was maintained,” he added.

Several modifications and innovations were introduced to compensate for the time lost during pandemic and monsoon related interruptions.

“Initially, we started using standard shutter, but the time cycle was longer. We wanted to shorten the time cycle and hence shifted to peri shutter. We built different types of shutters as per our design, planning, and strategy. Our main target was to cut down the time by half. We accomplished it through proper planning and monitoring,” Chakraborty said.

India’s largest wildlife overpass
Since PKG-2 comprised construction of two wildlife overpasses and underpasses, the team worked with utmost caution to avoid any harm to the wild animals. “We constructed the largest wildlife overpass in India. We ensured no animals were hurt during construction because drilling and blasting were involved. We barricaded both sides and took proper safety precautions,” he said.

Motorists traversing this stretch at Wardha are bound to be blow away by the scale of work and the pleasant environment. From the chaos of city traffic to the convoluted network of highways connecting Mumbai with Nagpur at present, Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg will upgrade the driving experience and cut down travel time by half. Afcons is proud for being a leading enabler in India’s longest and fastest expressway project.

Watch the video of this project below.

Samruddhi Mahamarg PKG-2
Samruddhi Mahamarg PKG-2
Samruddhi Mahamarg PKG-2
Samruddhi Mahamarg PKG-2
Samruddhi Mahamarg PKG-2
 
 

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