Mumbai, Aug. 24 -- After facing flak for an inordinate delay, the Maharashtra government has set a new deadline of March 2026 to complete the 434-km Mumbai-Goa highway, a project that was launched 14 years ago. According to the state public works department (PWD), the highway is 95% complete. However, an 84-km stretch between Panvel and Indapur has been significantly delayed due to various reasons, including the realignment of flyovers and bypasses. Construction is now expected to be completed by March 31, 2026, state public works minister Shivendraraje Bhosale was told during a recent presentation by his department. Launched in 2011, the project aims to transform the old, two-lane Mumbai-Goa highway into a four-lane expressway, cutting a gruelling 12-hour journey down to a six-hour ride. However, as HT has previously reported, the construction of the new highway has unravelled, with several tattered stretches forcing motorists to take detours. Construction of the new highway has been divided into 10 packages. The first two packages-between Panvel and Indapur-are being undertaken by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), while the remaining eight are under the state PWD. While the NHAI portion is 73.1% complete, the remaining packages currently range between 80.72% (Aravali-Kante) and 100% (Talgov-Zarap). According to PWD officials, the realignment of flyovers and bypasses is among the reasons that led to the delay. Six flyovers between Vadkhal and Mahad have been delayed for years. The contract for two packages in the 84-km stretch between Panvel and Indapur was given to Lion Engineering Consultants in March 2023 and November 2022, respectively, after the previous contractor failed to complete the work. "The revised deadline for these two phases is now September 2025 and March 2026," said an official from the PWD. Barring these two packages, the department expects to complete the rest of the construction work by December this year, according to Santosh Shelar, chief engineer (national highway), PWD. "Two bypasses at Indapur and Mangaon will take 18 more months, but they are not part of this project. We have taken all care with the repair works on the highway and filled potholes with paver blocks and concrete to ensure that motorists do not suffer any hardship," he said. Bhosale, the public works minister, blamed the heavy rainfall in the region for the delayed work and potholes along the highway. "The patchwork done before the Ganpati festival has washed out and needs to be done again. The officers and contractors have been asked to complete the work by December and ensure pothole-free roads during Ganpati," he said....