Thane: The villagers of Bhiwandi Taluka, along with Members of Parliament Suresh Mhatre from Bhiwandi, approached Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India, to request an interchange in Lamaj Supe Gaon on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway (Vododara-JNPT Expressway).

MP Sursh Mahatre, along with delegates Adv. Suyog Mhatre, Kiran Channel, Manjit Raut, Dinesh Patil, Irfan Bhire, Manohar Kardile, and others, went to meet union minister Nitin Gadkari.

However, earlier, the villagers had written a letter to the National Highway authorities, the District Collector, Konkan Bhawan, Mumbai, the Project Director, and the other concerned department seeking an interchange or access on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway from the Bhiwandi-Wada road.

A letter along with the signature of the aggrieved local residents or villagers has been sent to the concerned department. In the letter, they mentioned that they have a lack of access to the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway ( (Vododara-JNPT Expressway) from Bhiwandi Wada Road, while the Expressway passes through this Bhiwandi Wada Road.

The villagers and landowners had given their lands to the highway for the project. However, they will not get access to the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway. They further stated in the letter that the four access points have been given by the authorities. They said that due to bad roads and infrastructure, several companies and industries have been leaving the Bhiwandi-Kudus-Wada Road.

The villagers will get access after passing 18 kilometers away from Bhiwandi Wada Road, causing huge hardships for those passing through this region. The villagers from Amane, Chhava, Borpada, Kawad, Parivali, and other adjacent villages have demanded that authorities provide interchange or access points to Lamaj Supe gaon for the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, upgrade the road conditions, boost trade, generate employment, and reduce traffic problems.

Suhas Chitnis, a Project Director from the National Highway Authorities, said, "The construction package is at advanced levels. Moreover, the upgradation work of Bhiwandi-Wada is being done by the PWD. Huge land acquisition is required if the villagers want to access it, and it takes a long time. However, forest land will be involved in the process of land acquisition. We will verify the demands of the villagers technically and send the proposal to the competent authority. If the competent authority approves it, then we will be able to take it into the operational and maintenance stage. The cost of the project for Maharashtra is about 18,000 crores."

Adv. Kiran Channe, a convener from Bhiwnadi Wada Sangarsh Kriti Samiti, said, "The employment, industry, and trade sectors would be boosted after the interchange is constructed for the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway."

Adv. Suyog Mhatre who was part of delegates said, "The small and big industries have been leaving the Bhiwandi-Kudus-Wada Road due to bad roads and poor infrastructure. If the interchange is constructed in Lamaj Supegaon, then employment will be generated and the development of this region will occur."

This expressway will be fully operational in 2026. The sources stated that the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway is 1,350 km long and is an 8-lane expressway, expandable up to 12 lanes. The foundation stone was laid in March 2019, said officials NHAI.

This expressway goes through the Delhi (12 km) and the states of Haryana (129 km), Rajasthan (373 km), Madhya Pradesh (244 km), Gujarat (426 km), and Maharashtra (171 km).

Maharashtra (79 km): Crosses into Maharashtra and reaches Virar in Palghar district.

Section 4: Virar–JNPT

Maharashtra (92 km): Starts at Virar, passing through Amane and Badlapur. Ends at JNPT, Raigad district.