Pune: Third Mumbai-Pune Expressway Planned, Travel Time Likely To Reduce To 90 Minutes

Pune: Travel between Pune and Mumbai is set to become faster in the coming years as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has started preparations for the third Mumbai-Pune Expressway. The proposed 130-km highway will connect Atal Setu, Chowk and Pune’s Shivare area and is expected to reduce travel time between the two cities to nearly 90 minutes.

NHAI has already completed the planning process for around 30 km of the highway, and work on this stretch is likely to begin in the next few months. The authority has now started the process for the remaining 100-km section between Chowk and Shivare by inviting tenders for a detailed project report and feasibility study. The estimated cost of the project is around ₹15,000 crore.

Officials said interested companies can submit tenders till June 24. After the process is completed, a consultant will be appointed to prepare the design and feasibility report for the remaining stretch of the highway.

At present, commuters mainly depend on the existing Mumbai-Pune Expressway and the old Mumbai-Pune highway for travel between the two cities. The current journey usually takes around two and a half hours, depending on traffic conditions. However, increasing urban growth, the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport, port development and the expansion of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region are expected to sharply increase traffic movement in the future.

Keeping this in mind, NHAI has planned a third expressway parallel to the existing Mumbai-Pune Expressway to handle the growing number of vehicles and improve connectivity between Pune and Mumbai.

The new highway will begin from the point where Atal Setu ends and will connect with the Pune Ring Road before linking to the proposed Pune-Bangalore Expressway near Shivare. Officials believe the project will play an important role in improving long-distance travel and reducing congestion on existing routes.

NHAI officials said work on the Pagote-to-Chowk section is expected to begin this year, while efforts are also underway to start work on the remaining stretch as early as possible. Once completed, the third Mumbai-Pune Expressway is expected to significantly improve travel speed and connectivity between the two major cities.