Mumbai: There is good news for Maharashtra residents, as travel experience between Mumbai and Pune is set to transform soon. Union Cabinet has approved construction of 6- lane access controlled Greenfield Highway starting from JNPA Port (Pagote) to Chowk (29.219 km) in Maharashtra. The project will be developed on Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) mode at a total capital cost of Rs. 4500.62 Crore. The project is a part of PM Gatishakti National Master Plan principles which aims at developing road and connecting infrastructure to major and minor ports in India.

According to an official release, a need for National highway connectivity was identified with increasing container volume in JNPA port and the development of the Navi Mumbai International Airport.

A Game Changer For Mumbai-Pune Travel

Construction of this Greenfield expressway will reduce time and distance significantly. According to the official statement, “Currently, it takes 2-3 hours for vehicles to move from JNPA Port to the arterial Golden Quadrilateral (GQ) section of NH-48 and Mumbai – Pune Expressway due to heavy congestion in urban areas like Palaspe Phata, D-Point, Kalamboli junction, Panvel with traffic ~1.8 Lakh PCU/day.”

The expressway will start at JNPA port (NH 348) (Pagote village) and end at Mumbai-Pune Highway (NH-48). It will further link Mumbai Pune Expressway and Mumbai Goa National highway. This will enhance travel experience of commuters along with seamless commute.

Two tunnels passing through Sahayadri are provided for commercial vehicles.

The new 6- lane access controlled Greenfield Highway will provide better connectivity, including ports. It will help in efficient freight movement. It will foster new avenues of growth and development in the region. Mumbai and Pune are going to benefit largely from this expressway.

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