Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has announced a Rs 353.23 crore project to widen National Highway 548-B in Maharashtra’s Solapur district, alongside major road and bridge investments in Assam under the Central Road Infrastructure Fund (CRIF) on Tuesday (17 February).
The Maharashtra project covers a 47.663 km stretch from Bhurikavathe through Wagdari, Akkalkot, Nagansur and Tolnoor up to the Maharashtra–Karnataka border. The plan also includes construction of a bypass at Wagdari and a new bridge at Sangavi.
According to the minister, the upgrade is expected to ease the movement of heavy vehicles entering from Karnataka, making inter-state traffic safer and more efficient.
The corridor is strategically important for both commercial transport and religious tourism. Improved road conditions will significantly benefit devotees travelling from Latur, Umarga and parts of Andhra Pradesh to seek darshan at the revered shrine of Shri Swami Samarth Maharaj in Akkalkot.
