₹1.5 Lakh Crore Road Upgrade Planned for Maharashtra; New Expressways to Cut Travel Time

Maharashtra is set for a major improvement in road infrastructure with projects worth ₹1.5 lakh crore announced by Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari. The projects aim to reduce travel time, improve logistics, and make daily commuting easier across the state.

One of the key projects is a second Mumbai–Pune Expressway, which will run alongside the existing one. The 130-km-long expressway will be built at a cost of ₹15,000 crore and will connect Atal Setu near JNPA to Shivare Junction in Pune. Once completed, travel time between Mumbai and Pune is expected to come down from the current 2.5–3 hours to just 90 minutes. The first phase, from Pagote near JNPA to Chowk in Panvel, has already been approved.

Gadkari said the new expressway will also improve long-distance travel, allowing people to reach Bengaluru from Pune via Mumbai in about 5.5 hours, helping business and tourism.

Another major project is a new Pune–Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar greenfield expressway, to be developed by MSIDC at a cost of ₹16,318 crore. This expressway will reduce travel time between the two cities to around two hours and will allow commuters to reach Nagpur from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in 2.5 to 3 hours.

Two route options are being considered — one via Ahilyanagar and another passing through Shikrapur and Beed district — which will improve connectivity in the Marathwada region.

Pune district will receive nearly ₹50,000 crore worth of road projects, with work expected to start within the next three months. A major highlight is the Talegaon–Chakan–Shikrapur elevated corridor, a four-level project costing ₹4,207 crore that will include roads, flyovers, and a metro line. Tenders are already finalized, and construction will begin after local body elections.

The Hadapsar–Yavat elevated road is currently in the DPR stage, with construction planned after elections.

To improve freight and port connectivity, NHAI has proposed a 15-km link road between Morbe and Kalamboli, connecting the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway directly to JNPA. The ₹9,000 crore project will support smoother cargo movement, especially as the Maharashtra section of the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway is expected to be completed by 2026.

Gadkari said road projects worth ₹1.5 lakh crore have been approved for Maharashtra, with work scheduled to begin in 2026, while Pune projects worth ₹50,000 crore will start much earlier.