The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has put forward an ambitious blueprint to transform the crucial Mumbai–Pune Expressway into a ten-lane superhighway. With a projected cost of Rs 16,000 crore, this major upgrade aims to alleviate the severe congestion plaguing the vital corridor and is targeted for completion by the 2029-30 financial year.
Scale-Up from Eight to Ten Lanes
In a significant scale-up from its earlier proposal, the MSRDC submitted a detailed project report (DPR) to the state government last week for a ten-lane expressway. The corporation's joint managing director, Rajesh Patil, confirmed that the earlier plan for an eight-lane upgrade has been enhanced. "The 10-lane proposal will cost around Rs16,000 crore, with land acquisition likely to be around Rs200 crore," Patil stated.
The MSRDC is now racing against time to secure the state government's clearance, hoping to initiate the tendering process before the current financial year ends on March 31. The proposal will first be examined by the cabinet infrastructure committee, which is headed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Addressing Unbearable Traffic Pressure
The expansion is a direct response to the unsustainable traffic growth on the 94.6-km access-controlled expressway, which was built in 2002. The corridor currently handles close to one lakh vehicles daily, with numbers spiking on weekends and holidays. Traffic volume has been rising at an annual rate of 5–6%, turning what should be a two-hour journey into a frustrating three-hour ordeal during peak times.
"This is a long-pending demand. The traffic pressure has become unbearable, and this expansion is essential," emphasized Patil. Regular commuters like Siddharth Mohite have welcomed the move, urging the state to expedite the widening while ensuring work is done in phases to minimise disruption.
Timeline, Funding, and Land Acquisition
If approvals come through as planned, MSRDC expects the upgrade work to take approximately three years. "If work begins by 2026, completion is expected around 2029–30," Patil added. Officials are confident about the timeline due to minimal land acquisition hurdles.
Most of the required land is already with MSRDC. The new acquisition is limited to roughly 85 hectares around six tunnel zones, including areas near Kamshet, Khandala, and Adoshi, at an estimated cost of ₹200 crore. The project is likely to be funded through MSRDC's internal resources and executed on an annuity model with deferred payments. The corporation may also seek an extension of the current toll contract, valid until 2045, to ensure the plan's financial viability.
This project follows the ongoing construction of the 13-km "missing link"—a ten-lane section through the Khandala Ghat slated for completion by March 2026. The newly proposed widening would cover the remainder of the expressway, creating one of the largest expressway expansions in the country and promising smoother travel for millions.
