₹50,000-Crore Road Projects Announced For Pune Region; Travel Time To Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar To Reduce To 2 Hours
₹50,000-Crore Road Projects Announced For Pune Region; Travel Time To Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar To Reduce To 2 Hours
Pune, March 6, 2026: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has announced a major infrastructure push for the Pune region, approving road projects worth nearly ₹50,000 crore aimed at easing traffic congestion and improving connectivity across western Maharashtra.
The large-scale development plan is expected to significantly improve transport networks in and around Pune and reduce travel time between major cities. Once the projects are completed, the journey between Pune and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (formerly Aurangabad) is expected to take just around two hours and fifteen minutes.
During an important review meeting held on Thursday, five major road development projects were presented and discussed in detail. Officials shared the proposed roadmap outlining how these infrastructure works will address increasing traffic pressure in the Pune division.
Key Projects Planned
Under the new development plan, several important transport corridors will be constructed or upgraded. One of the key projects is the 54-km Pune–Shirur corridor, which will be developed at an estimated cost of ₹7,515 crore. Another major route, the 53-km Talegaon–Chakan–Shikrapur corridor, will be developed through a tender worth ₹4,000 crore.
Provision has also been made for improving the 31-km stretch between Hadapsar and Yavat on the Pune–Solapur highway. Additionally, the Nashik Phata–Khed route is expected to be developed at an estimated cost of ₹7,808 crore, while another road project worth ₹5,000 crore has also received approval.
Request to State Government
Highlighting the growing traffic challenges in Pune city, Gadkari urged the Government of Maharashtra to support the projects by waiving royalties on construction materials such as sand and stone required for these six large infrastructure works. According to him, this step would help keep project costs under control.
New Highway and Ring Road Plans
To further ease transportation pressure, a new highway connecting Mumbai and Bengaluru has also been proposed. The highway will start near the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPT) and pass through Pune, improving both passenger travel and freight movement.
Meanwhile, construction of the Pune Ring Road, being undertaken by the state government, is progressing. The Katraj flyover project is in its final stage and is expected to be completed soon. Authorities also plan to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) worth ₹6,000 crore for upgrading the Pune–Satara highway, along with improvements to the old Pune–Mumbai highway.
Palkhi Route Nearing Completion
The development of the Palkhi route, an important pilgrimage corridor for devotees of the Warkari tradition, is almost complete. Gadkari stated that he will personally inspect the route next month, including the stretches from Dehu to Pandharpur and from Alandi to Pandharpur.
The route is expected to be formally inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Several other infrastructure projects in the Pune division are also likely to see foundation stone ceremonies and inaugurations next month, further strengthening the road network across western Maharashtra.
