Surat: The stalled Nashik‑Akkalkot highway project, part of the Chennai‑Surat Expressway, is finally set to move forward. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has decided to construct the project on a build‑operate‑transfer (BOT) basis. The proposal has been sent to the central government for approval. Once approved, a tender will be floated for the construction of the stretch.

The 1,271‑km Chennai‑Surat Expressway, undertaken by the NHAI, will pass through Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu, connecting major cities including Surat, Nashik, Ahilyanagar, Solapur, Kalaburagi, Kurnool, Kadapa, and Tirupati.

The project is divided into two main phases: Surat to Solapur and Solapur to Chennai, with several sub‑phases under each. The 374‑km, six‑lane Nashik‑Akkalkot stretch is one of the key segments. A previous tender floated under the hybrid annuity model six months ago could not be completed due to technical and financial reasons.

As a result, the decision was made to shift to the BOT model. The Public‑Private Partnership Appraisal Committee of NHAI has recently approved the Nashik‑Akkalkot highway plan, according to senior NHAI officials.

The Nashik‑Akkalkot highway will be constructed in two phases: Nashik to Ahilyanagar (152 km) and Ahilyanagar to Akkalkot (222 km).

Once operational, the new highway will reduce travel time between Nashik and Akkalkot from nine hours to four hours. Additionally, when the entire Surat‑Chennai Expressway is complete, the journey from Nashik to Surat is expected to take just two hours.

The highway will also link to the Delhi‑Mumbai Expressway at Navsari, improving connectivity to Delhi as well. DeshGujarat