Road connectivity across Maharashtra is set to improve significantly, as a series of major infrastructure projects have been announced by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari. The minister on Friday, shared plans that include a second Mumbai-Pune Expressway, a new Pune-Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Greenfield expressway, and a substantial funding boost for Pune aimed at improving travel efficiency and reducing traffic congestion.
Second Mumbai-Pune Expressway
During a media interaction at the Vidhan Bhavan in Nagpur, Gadkari stated that a 130-km expressway, running parallel to the existing Mumbai-Pune Expressway, will be developed. The project is estimated to cost approximately Rs 15,000 crore. The new corridor will extend from the Atal Setu near JNPA to Shivare Junction in Pune, enhancing connectivity and reducing traffic congestion along the busy stretch.
Emphasising how the proposed expressway will cut travel time between the districts, Gadkari said, “The first phase, from Pagote to Chowk (Panvel), has already been approved. Once completed, the Pune-Mumbai journey will take just one-and-a-half hours, while the Pune-Mumbai-Bengaluru journey can be covered in five-and-a-half hours.”
New Pune-Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Expressway
A new Greenfield expressway between Pune and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar is also announced, and estimated to cost Rs 16,318 crore. Once complete and operational, the expressway will cut travel time between the two cities to just two hours. The project will be implemented in phases, with the first phase proposed to cover Pune-Ahilyanagar-Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The second phase will run via Shikrapur, bypass Ahilyanagar and pass through Beed district.
He further highlighted that road projects worth Rs 1.5 lakh crore have been approved across Maharashtra for the coming year. He added that nearly Rs 50,000 crore of this investment is dedicated to Pune alone, with all projects slated to commence within the next three months. One of the key projects announced for Pune is the Talegaon-Chakan-Shikrapur elevated corridor. This four tier infrastructure project features a road at ground level, two flyovers above it, and a metro line on top. Gadkari noted that the tender process for the corridor is already complete and foundation stone will be laid soon.
