The Hindu Hriday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg, popularly known as the Samruddhi Expressway, has already been hailed as one of India’s most ambitious road projects. Stretching 701 kilometers to connect Nagpur with Mumbai, it has slashed travel time between the two cities from around 16 hours to just 8. But now, this expressway is achieving another historic milestone—it is set to become India’s first solar-powered highway.
Solar Power Along the Highway
The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has rolled out renewable energy generation on the expressway by installing solar panels at strategic points.
- First Phase: A total of 5 megawatts (MW) has already gone live—3 MW at Karanja Lad (Buldhana district) and 2 MW at Mehkar (Washim district).
- Future Target: The plan is to scale this up to around 150–200 MW in the coming years, with a longer-term goal of reaching 204 MW capacity spread across interchanges, embankments, and other suitable stretches.
- Usage of Power: The electricity will illuminate streetlights, tunnels, and interchanges, while surplus units will be sold to the grid through agreements with the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company (MSEDCL).
By harnessing solar energy, the Samruddhi Expressway is not just reducing its own running costs but also creating a new stream of income for the state.
Why This Matters
The step of turning a national highway into an energy corridor is significant for several reasons:
- Cost Savings: Operating a 700 km expressway requires enormous power for lighting, surveillance, toll operations, and tunnel ventilation. Solar generation will slash dependence on conventional electricity.
- Revenue Potential: Power sold to MSEDCL at around ₹3 per unit will bring steady earnings for MSRDC, creating a financial cushion beyond toll collection.
- Environmental Benefits: Renewable generation along the highway reduces carbon emissions and positions Maharashtra as a leader in sustainable infrastructure. It may also help the state earn carbon credits.
- A Model for Others: The project sets an example for future highways in India, where expressways can double up as power generators while meeting transport needs.
How the Panels Are Installed
Engineers have identified land parcels and slopes along the route that receive maximum sunlight, especially south-facing embankments and open stretches near interchanges. These spots minimize land acquisition issues while ensuring efficient solar generation.
Placing solar panels along road infrastructure comes with challenges—dust, debris, maintenance, and vandalism risks—but if managed well, it can provide clean energy for decades.
Beyond Solar: The Samruddhi Experience
The expressway itself is a modern engineering marvel:
- Six lanes wide, expandable to eight.
- Crosses 10 districts, 26 talukas, and nearly 400 villages, opening up massive economic opportunities.
- Features six tunnels, dozens of bridges, interchanges, and dedicated animal underpasses.
- Equipped with CCTV cameras, surveillance systems, and street lighting for safer travel.
By combining high-speed connectivity with renewable energy, the Samruddhi Mahamarg is redefining how infrastructure projects are imagined in India.
Challenges to Consider
While the vision is bold, success will depend on execution. Key challenges include:
- Maintenance: Solar panels along highways will face dust, weather extremes, and potential theft or damage. Regular upkeep will be crucial.
- Grid Management: Feeding variable solar power into the state grid will require strong coordination with utilities.
- Scaling Up: Reaching the 200 MW target will demand significant investment, planning, and timely execution.
Looking Ahead
The Samruddhi Expressway’s solar project marks a turning point in India’s push for sustainable infrastructure. It transforms a traditional transport corridor into a multi-utility green corridor, generating clean energy while carrying millions of passengers.
If the model succeeds, other major expressways—such as the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway or Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway—could adopt similar practices. Highways may no longer be just stretches of asphalt but self-sustaining ecosystems that contribute to the country’s energy needs.
The Samruddhi Mahamarg is more than a road; it’s a vision of India’s future. By becoming the country’s first solar-powered expressway, it proves that large-scale infrastructure can balance speed, efficiency, and sustainability.
From reducing travel time between Nagpur and Mumbai to lighting itself with the power of the sun, Samruddhi is showing the way forward. It is not just an expressway connecting two cities—it is a green corridor connecting today’s needs with tomorrow’s possibilities.
