In good news for commuters, Maharashtra School Education Minister Dada Bhuse said that the plan for the Pune-Nashik Industrial Expressway was in the final stages.
He said that after receiving approval, the project will be completed within the next three years, significantly benefiting industries, transportation, and tourism between the two cities.
He added that the travel time between Pune and Nashik will reduce considerably to 2.5 to 3 hours. Currently, it takes more than 5 hours.
Reportedly, the expressway will be built at Rs 28,429 crore. It is planned to include 12 flyovers and key interchanges at Chimbli, Chakan, Pabal, and Sangamner. It is also set to connect the Surat-Chennai Highway, boosting logistics and trade.
Bhuse said the Pune-Nashik Industrial Expressway will boost development in the region and create a strong industrial corridor, providing direct connectivity to many small, medium, and large-scale industries. This will, in turn, boost employment and also connect several pilgrimage sites and develop villages along its route, he added.
The Minister further stated that the project involves the acquisition of both dry and irrigated agricultural lands (approximately 1,545 hectares). For this, special care was being taken to ensure that farmers are treated justly, he said. “Every stage of the acquisition process will be carried out with the consent and involvement of the farmers, ensuring legal compliance and fair compensation,” he concluded.
This comes amid the controversy over the alignment of the Pune-Nashik Semi-High Speed Railway Project. The originally proposed route was Pune–Chakan–Rajgurunagar–Manchar–Narayangaon–Sangamner–Sinnar–Nashik. However, it had to be reconsidered when the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA), which set up and maintains the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) at Narayangaon, objected to the corridor passing through the vicinity.
