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One Khambataki tunnel opened to public as part of trial run
The Khambataki ghat on the Pune-Satara national highway has for long been notorious for its dangerous ‘S’ shaped curves and steep gradients that have made the ghat highly accident-prone, especially on holidays and weekends when traffic congestion turns severe
Work on the long-awaited Khambataki tunnel project is now nearly 90% complete with one of the tunnels connecting Satara to Pune thrown open to the public by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) from Saturday, January 17 as part of a trial phase. At present, only light vehicles are allowed to use the tunnel as work on the viaduct (valley bridge) near the Pune exit is still underway. Despite this limitation, the response from motorists has been extremely positive with many reporting a smoother and faster journey.
The Khambataki ghat on the Pune-Satara national highway has for long been notorious for its dangerous ‘S’ shaped curves and steep gradients that have made the ghat highly accident-prone, especially on holidays and weekends when traffic congestion turns severe. It is to replace this accident-prone and congested ghat section while significantly reducing travel time and improving safety that the NHAI approved the construction of two separate, modern tunnels – one for each direction of travel – each comprising three lanes. Once the second tunnel too is opened to the public, travel time through the ghat is expected to reduce from the current 30 to 45 minutes to just 10 to 15 minutes.
The left tunnel of this ambitious project is approximately 1,307 metres long, while the right tunnel measures about 1,224 metres in length. In addition, long viaducts are being constructed on both sides to ensure smooth transition between the tunnels and the main highway. Work on the viaduct near the Pune exit is still underway, with around 15% of the construction remaining. Once this is completed, heavy vehicles will also be permitted to use the tunnel route.
Providing details about the project, Sanjay Kadam, project director, NHAI Pune, said, “The Khambataki tunnel project has been designed to permanently eliminate the dangerous S-shaped ghat road. With two three-lane tunnels and modern safety features, traffic movement will be smoother and much safer. Once the remaining viaduct work is completed, even heavy vehicles will be allowed and the entire stretch will function at full capacity. This will drastically reduce travel time and consumption of fuel.”
Regular commuters on the Pune–Satara route have welcomed the development. Ramesh Pathak, who travels frequently from Satara to Pune, said, “I have been using this route for more than 15 years, and the Khambataki ghat was always stressful due to traffic jams and sharp turns. After using the tunnel, the difference is huge. The drive is smooth, and I reached Pune much faster than usual.”
Another commuter, Anita Oza from Pune, said, “Earlier during weekends, it would take nearly an hour to cross the ghat because of congestion. Now, even during the trial run, the tunnel has saved a lot of time. Once it is fully opened, travelling to Satara will become much more comfortable,” she said.
The project was approved in February 2019 and was to be completed within three years initially. The deadline has now been extended till March 2026. Once both tunnels are fully operational, the existing ghat road is expected to be closed, effectively consigning this infamous stretch to history while also resulting in a sharp reduction in accidents.
