The Union government is preparing to begin construction on the first segment of a proposed high-speed corridor aimed at significantly reducing travel time between Mumbai and Bengaluru.
The first leg of the project, connecting Pagote to Chowk in Raigad district, will be built at an estimated cost of Rs 5,000 crore. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari announced the development during a review meeting on highway projects in Pune.
Gadkari said construction of the new Mumbai–Pune Expressway would begin soon and that the route would be integrated with the Outer Pune Ring Road. He added that a separate alignment would also be developed from the Pune Ring Road towards Bengaluru.
According to him, the corridor will begin about two km from the Atal Tunnel and pass through the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) area.
The Pagote–Chowk stretch, estimated to cost Rs 5,000 crore, will eventually connect with the Pune Ring Road as part of the broader corridor linking Mumbai with Bengaluru.
The government has already acquired a 100-metre-wide land corridor for the project, which will eventually accommodate up to 16 lanes.
