Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has criticised the prolonged delay in the expansion of the Mumbai-Goa Highway, saying he is “ashamed” of the project’s progress and will not attend its eventual inauguration.

Gadkari made the remarks while inaugurating a six-lane flyover at Porvorim near Panaji. The comments came as the minister reviewed the status of the highway project, which has faced delays since work began more than a decade ago.

Highway project launched in 2011

The Mumbai-Goa Highway expansion was launched in 2011 to convert the existing two-lane road into a four-lane highway. The project was intended to reduce the journey between Mumbai and Goa from around 12 hours to six hours.

According to Gadkari, officials had informed him that the highway was between 93% and 94% complete. Despite that reported level of completion, the minister criticised the time taken to finish the work and said he would stay away from the project’s inauguration when it is eventually completed.

Gadkari also blamed contractors for the delays. He said contractors had failed to deliver the project as expected and indicated that further action could be taken against both contractors and officials.

Warning of blacklisting and suspension

The minister suggested that more contractors could be blacklisted and that officials could face suspension over the prolonged delay. His remarks signalled that responsibility for the project’s slow progress could extend beyond the companies carrying out the construction.

The expansion is a major road project linking Maharashtra and Goa. Its intended purpose is to improve the existing route and substantially shorten travel time between the two destinations once the work is completed.

The remarks were made at the opening of a separate transport project in Goa: a 5.15-kilometre elevated corridor at Porvorim. The corridor was inaugurated as a six-lane flyover and has an estimated cost of ₹364.68 crore.

Porvorim corridor opens near Panaji

The newly opened elevated road is located near Panaji and was the central project at the event where Gadkari spoke about the Mumbai-Goa Highway. Its opening adds a major road link in the Porvorim area, while the minister used the occasion to express dissatisfaction with the status of the longer highway expansion.

Gadkari’s statement places the Mumbai-Goa Highway’s reported 93–94% completion against the project’s extended timeline. However, the available information does not specify a final completion date or an inauguration schedule for the full highway.

For now, the next steps are expected to involve completing the remaining work and determining whether contractors or officials face the disciplinary measures mentioned by the minister. The full project’s eventual inauguration remains separate from the opening of the Porvorim elevated corridor.