MSRDC plans to widen old Mumbai-Pune highway to six lanes; project may cost ₹6,000 crore

MUMBAI: With large-scale township development gathering pace in Karjat, Neral, Patalganga and other parts of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and Pune Metropolitan Region, the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) plans to widen the old Mumbai-Pune highway from four lanes to six to cater to rising traffic

MUMBAI: With large-scale township development gathering pace in Karjat, Neral, Patalganga and other parts of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and Pune Metropolitan Region, the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) plans to widen the old Mumbai-Pune highway from four lanes to six to cater to rising traffic.

The proposed expansion will cover the highway connecting Mumbai and Pune through Khopoli and Talegaon, as well as areas witnessing growing real estate and industrial activity. The project is estimated to cost between ₹5,000 crore and ₹6,000 crore, with the expenditure likely to be recovered through toll collections, according to sources.

MSRDC managing director Anil Gaikwad said the corporation was working on a detailed project report (DPR) for the expansion, despite the highway being owned by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

“The old Mumbai-Pune highway is owned by the National Highways Authority of India, but the MSRDC has toll rights on the highway until 2035. With traffic increasing, we want to expand it and are working on a detailed project,” Gaikwad said.

The old Mumbai-Pune highway, which stretches approximately 150-156 km, was initially a two-lane road before being widened to four lanes as traffic increased. Before the Mumbai-Pune Expressway was built during the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance government between 1995 and 1999, motorists would take nearly five hours to travel between the two cities. The expressway significantly reduced the journey time and diverted a substantial volume of traffic from the old highway.

In 2010, the old highway was incorporated into National Highway 48 (NH-48). The proposed expansion is expected to improve connectivity to emerging residential and industrial hubs along the highway, particularly in the Karjat, Khopoli and Patalganga belt. Panvel-based landscape architect Reshma Sathe, who frequently travels on the old Mumbai-Pune highway, said improved connectivity could unlock the development potential of the region, particularly as Mumbai’s growth shifts eastwards.

“The old Mumbai-Pune highway passes through the scenic hills and valleys of the Sahyadri range. The proposed expansion is particularly important as the epicentre of Mumbai is shifting eastwards. The potential of the entire region remains untapped, and growth is likely to be phenomenal. Two large industrial areas — Taloja and Patalganga MIDC — flank this belt, while improved connectivity to Karjat could pave the way for large-scale development,” she said.

Sathe said better connectivity would give a boost to the regional economy, benefiting both the manufacturing and services sectors and helping Mumbai retain its position as one of India’s preferred destinations for growth and employment. However, she cautioned against the environmental impact of the expansion, particularly in the ecologically sensitive Sahyadri landscape.

“As a landscape architect, I am also concerned about the disturbance to natural flora and fauna. Development must be sensitive and strike a balance between infrastructure needs and the environment,” she said.

Meanwhile, the MSRDC has floated a tender to appoint a consultant to prepare the DPR for widening the old highway. Separately, it has also submitted a proposal to the state government to expand the Mumbai-Pune Expressway from its existing six lanes to 10 lanes.