Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, on Saturday, made an announcement of a series of major infrastructure projects for Pune and Maharashtra, including a second Mumbai–Pune Expressway and a Pune–Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar greenfield expressway. This is in a bid to ease congestion and to reduce travel time.
The proposed 130-km Mumbai–Pune Expressway, estimated to cost ₹15,000 crore, will extend from Atal Setu near JNPA to Shivare Junction in Pune. As per Gadkari, the first phase from Pagote (near JNPA) to Chowk (Panvel)—has already received approval. Once completed, the expressway is expected to reduce the Pune–Mumbai travel time to just 90 minutes, while the Pune–Mumbai–Bengaluru journey could be completed in around five-and-a-half hours.
According to Pune community forum
Pune travel guide
Gadkari, who played a key role in the development of the existing Mumbai–Pune Expressway and inaugurated in 2002, the new corridor would be built to international standards.
The minister also announced a greenfield expressway between Pune and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, with an estimated cost of ₹16,318 crore. The project is expected to cut travel time between the two cities to about two hours.
According to Gadkari, the expressway will have two alignments.
The first phase will run via Pune–Ahilyanagar–Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
The second route will begin at Shikrapur, bypass Ahilyanagar and pass through Beed district.
The project will also enable commuters to travel between Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Nagpur in approximately 2.5 to 3 hours, he said.
Massive Allocation for Pune District
In the midst of addressing the media at Vidhan Bhavan, Nagpur, Gadkari said that road development works worth ₹1.5 lakh crore have been approved across Maharashtra for the coming year. Of this, nearly ₹50,000 crore has been allocated to Pune district alone, with projects expected to commence within the next three months.
Adding that Pune has received a significant infrastructure boost under this allocation. Among the key projects is the Talegaon–Chakan–Shikrapur elevated corridor, a four-tier transport project comprising a ground-level road, two flyovers, and a metro line on top. The project, estimated to cost ₹4,207 crore, has completed the tender process, and the foundation stone will be laid soon.
Meanwhile, the Pune Expressway is a game-changer for commuters.
News Edit KV Raman
