India, Aug. 23 -- 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.

The new highway, also called the Konkan Expressway, or simply the NH-66, was meant to be a state-of-the-art corridor of sm...