Good news for commuters, Union minister Nitin Gadkari announces new highway, check details

The minister also stressed that huge infrastructure work worth Rs 2 lakh crore is being undertaken around Pune and expressed how challenging it was to acquire land for the expansion of Pune airport.

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has announced the construction of a new Mumbai-Pune highway, which will significantly cut the journey time to just one and a half hours. This is good news for commuters who travel between Mumbai and Pune. The minister also emphasised the significant infrastructure projects totaling Rs 2 lakh crore being carried out in the Pune area and mentioned how difficult it was to find land for the airport’s development.

While speaking at the Lokmanya Tilak National Award ceremony in Maharashtra’s Pune, Gadkari said, “In my previous visit, I had declared that the Union Government would undertake road and highway construction projects worth Rs 50,000 crore in Pune district. I have asked the Chief Minister Devendra Fadanavis and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar to hold a foundation laying function in the next 15 days, in which work on projects worth Rs 15,000 crore would be started.”

“Also, by the end of December this year, work of Rs 50,000 crore will also be started, and studies are underway for more work of Rs 15,000 crore to be taken up”, Gadkari added.

Gadkari added that a private company had submitted a price for the Mumbai-Pune Expressway worth Rs 3,600 crore, but the tender was turned down since it was deemed “expensive.” Later, the state government itself was chosen to complete the project.

Mumbai-Pune highway is expected to:

Cut the duration of travel from Mumbai to Pune to one and a half hours.

Address the problem of traffic on the current highways and motorways.

Make sure the trip from Mumbai to Pune takes roughly five hours.

Make a substantial contribution to economic expansion along the suggested route.

Gadkari added in his remarks that Atal Setu’s concept came about during his first stint as a cabinet minister. Later, under the direction of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the bridge was built.