Maharashtra Expressway Expansion to Cut Mumbai–Pune Travel to 90 Minutes, Mumbai–Bengaluru to 5.5 Hours

Maharashtra is set for a major overhaul of its road infrastructure as the central government has approved highway and expressway projects worth ₹1.5 lakh crore, a move expected to dramatically reduce travel time and boost connectivity across the state.

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari announced the ambitious plan, which includes a second Mumbai–Pune Expressway, a new Pune–Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar expressway, and multiple elevated road corridors in Pune district.

One of the most significant projects is the Mumbai–Pune Expressway II, a 130-kilometre corridor that will run parallel to the existing expressway. With an estimated cost of ₹15,000 crore, the new route is expected to reduce travel time between Mumbai and Pune from the current 2.5–3 hours to just 90 minutes. The project aims to ease congestion, especially in the ghat sections that frequently cause delays. The first phase, connecting Pagote near JNPA to Chowk in Panvel, has already received approval.

The expanded expressway network will also enable commuters to travel from Mumbai to Bengaluru in approximately 5.5 hours via Pune, significantly improving inter-city connectivity and benefiting business travel, tourism, and logistics.

Another key project is the proposed Pune–Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar greenfield expressway, estimated to cost ₹16,318 crore. Once completed, the route will cut travel time between the two cities to about two hours. Two alignments are under consideration—one via Ahilyanagar and another through Shikrapur in Beed district. The expressway will also strengthen links to Nagpur, reducing travel time to 2.5–3 hours.

Pune district alone is set to receive nearly ₹50,000 crore in infrastructure investments. Major projects include the Talegaon–Chakan–Shikrapur elevated corridor, costing ₹4,207 crore and integrating roadways, flyovers, and a metro line, and the Hadapsar–Yavat elevated road, which is currently in the DPR stage.

To improve freight movement and port access, the NHAI plans to build a 15-kilometre link road connecting Morbe and Kalamboli, directly linking the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway to JNPA. This ₹9,000 crore project is expected to ease cargo transport as the Maharashtra section of the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway nears completion by 2026.

According to Gadkari, construction for most approved projects is expected to begin in 2026, marking a major step toward transforming travel, trade, and urban mobility in Maharashtra over the coming years.