Pune: Citizens have renewed their demand for state govt to clear the long-pending proposal to expand the Mumbai-Pune expressway into a 10-lane corridor, after a tanker mishap in the ghat section caused a 32-hour traffic standstill on Tuesday. The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) submitted the Rs 16,000-crore expansion proposal to govt last Dec, but it has been awaiting clearance since then. Officials said they were hopeful that it would be approved in the March budget session, which would allow the tendering process to begin before the end of the current financial year.
According to the detailed project report, the expansion plan upgrades the earlier proposal of an eight-lane expressway to a 10-lane access-controlled corridor. “This is an upgraded version of our previous plan. The project cost is around Rs 16,000 crore, with land acquisition expected to cost roughly Rs 200 crore,” MSRDC vice-chairman and MD Anil Kumar Gaikwad said.Nearly 1 lakh vehicles ply on the 94.6km expressway daily, with numbers rising significantly on weekends and holidays. Traffic volumes have been increasing by 5-6% annually, putting immense pressure on infrastructure that is more than two decades old.The officials said the recent accidents underscore the expressway’s vulnerability, especially in the ghat section, where even a single incident could halt movement for hours. “These situations clearly show that increasing capacity is no longer optional. Expansion is essential,” an official said.If approved, the widening will be among the largest expressway expansion projects in the country. MSRDC estimates a three-year execution period. “If work starts in 2026, we expect completion by 2029-30. Land acquisition challenges are minimal,” Gaikwad said.The project is expected to be funded through MSRDC’s internal resources and executed on an annuity model. Only about 85 hectares of land will be acquired, mainly near tunnel zones at Kamshet, Khandala, Adoshi, Madap and Bhatan.MSRDC is already building the 13km missing link — including a 10-lane ghat section — which is slated for completion by March. The proposed widening will cover the remaining stretch and is expected to significantly reduce congestion. “This demand has been pending for years. The traffic pressure has become unbearable,” an official said. Regular commuters echoed the sentiment. “Even minor incidents lead to massive delays. The widening should be fast-tracked and carried out in phases to avoid disruptions,” Bhagyashree Shimpley, a frequent expressway user, saidS Narsimhan, a senior citizen who travels to Pune every weekend, said the widening was crucial for ensuring smooth traffic flow.
