The ambitious project to transform the congested Mumbai-Goa national highway into a smooth, four-lane corridor continues to be plagued by significant delays, pushing the dream of a six-hour journey further into the future. While substantial work is complete, critical bottlenecks at four flyovers and two bypass roads are extending motorists' misery and travel times.
Where the Project Stands: Completed Stretches vs. Problem Zones
Work on widening the vital two-lane highway, officially known as NH66, began over a decade ago in 2013. Officials confirm that the 84-kilometer section from Panvel to Indapur, executed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), is nearly ready and offers relatively hassle-free driving. However, the situation deteriorates sharply beyond Indapur.
The real challenge lies on the massive 470-kilometer Indapur to Zarap stretch, which is being managed directly by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). Here, two major bypasses have become the primary obstacles. The 3-kilometer Indapur bypass and the 7-kilometer Mangaon bypass, though part of the original plan, were not constructed on schedule. This forced MoRTH to float fresh tenders six months ago.
While work has now commenced, officials state that these bypasses are unlikely to be completed before March 2027. As a stopgap measure, the existing roads passing through Indapur and Mangaon towns have been widened to provide temporary relief. Yet, motorists report severe peak-hour snarls as local and highway traffic clash, compounded by damaged road surfaces in these sections.
Flyover Construction Adds to Long-Term Congestion
Beyond Mangaon, the highway's condition improves, with the stretch from Parshuram Ghat to Zarap nearly complete. However, another set of delays is affecting travel near Ratnagiri. The construction of four flyovers, each approximately 800 meters long at Lanja, Nivali, Pali, and Sangameshwar, has been progressing slowly for nearly two years, disrupting traffic flow.
MoRTH officials have set a target of March 2026 for the completion of these four flyovers. Until then, service roads near the construction sites are being used to keep vehicles moving. Prashant Fegde, MoRTH's Mumbai regional officer and project head, emphasized that the highway is not uniformly bad. "Excluding these four flyovers and two bypasses, it is already possible to drive from Panvel to Goa in eight to nine hours," he stated.
Public Scrutiny and the Road Ahead
The persistent issues on this critical Konkan route gained national attention after engineer Chaitanya Patil undertook a remarkable 29-day, 470-kilometer march along the entire highway. His mission was to document every gap, hazard, and potential solution. He later submitted a detailed report to Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari.
The collective impact of these delays means that the promised six-hour travel time between Mumbai and Goa remains elusive. For now, and for the next few years, the journey will continue to take eight to nine hours, with congestion concentrated in the active construction zones at the two bypasses and four flyover locations. The focus now is on ensuring the 2026 and 2027 deadlines for these remaining components are met to finally unlock the highway's full potential.
