Mutha River bridge’s second side to open in June, traffic woes to ease

After the first carriageway opened earlier this year for traffic moving towards Satara, commuters have already noticed a significant improvement in traffic flow on the busy highway stretch

The long-pending expansion work of the Mutha River bridge on the Mumbai–Bengaluru Highway between Vadgaon and Warje has entered its final stage. The second side of the bridge is nearing completion and is expected to open for vehicular traffic by the first week of June, officials said.

The long-pending expansion work of the Mutha River bridge on the Mumbai–Bengaluru Highway between Vadgaon and Warje has entered its final stage. (MAHENDRA KOLHE/ HT)

After the first carriageway opened earlier this year for traffic moving towards Satara, commuters have already noticed a significant improvement in traffic flow on the busy highway stretch. With the remaining side set to become operational soon for vehicles travelling towards Mumbai, motorists expect major relief from daily traffic congestion.

Sanjay Kadam, project director, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) Pune, said, “The remaining portion of the Mutha River bridge work is progressing quickly, and we are targeting to open it for traffic by the first week of June. The first side of the bridge has already shown positive results in easing congestion towards Satara. After the second side becomes operational, traffic movement in both directions will become smoother and safer.”

“The stretch experiences extremely heavy vehicular movement daily, and the widened bridge will significantly improve overall traffic handling capacity. We are also planning additional traffic management measures such as service roads, road markings, signage, and lane discipline systems to further streamline movement on the corridor,” he said.

According to NHAI officials, the new bridge has wider carriageways and improved lane management to ensure smoother vehicular movement and better traffic segregation. Once fully opened, the bridge is expected to reduce travel time on the Pune–Satara route by nearly 20 to 30 minutes and eliminate one of the biggest bottlenecks on the highway stretch. Around 60,000 to 70,000 daily commuters using the route are likely to benefit from the improved infrastructure.

“It used to take almost 45 minutes just to cross the Warje stretch during peak hours, especially in the evening. After the first side of the bridge opened, traffic became much smoother towards Satara. We are now hoping that once the second side opens in June, the daily congestion near the Mutha bridge will finally reduce and commuting will become less stressful for thousands of office-goers like us,” said Prashant Hundari, a regular commuter travelling between Pune city and Katraj.

Officials further stated that after the bridge becomes fully operational, the NHAI will begin the next phase of improvement works in the surrounding area, including strengthening service roads, installing traffic signboards, and implementing other road safety infrastructure aimed at improving commuter convenience and reducing accident risks on the highway stretch.