The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) is moving ahead with a plan to widen the old Mumbai-Pune highway from four lanes to six, and has floated a tender to appoint a consultant to prepare the detailed project report (DPR) for the expansion, according to reports published on Tuesday. The project is estimated to cost between Rs 5,000 crore and Rs 6,000 crore.

Source: Hindustan Times via Curly Tales

MSRDC managing director Anil Gaikwad told Hindustan Times that the corporation is preparing the DPR for the proposed expansion. The highway connects Mumbai and Pune via Khopoli and Talegaon, and passes through areas such as Karjat, Neral and Patalganga, where township and industrial projects are gaining momentum. The consultant chosen through the tender will draw up the detailed project plan and examine the feasibility of the widening, with work on the blueprint expected to begin in early 2027.

Source: Hindustan Times via Curly Tales

The expansion is planned for a 111-kilometre stretch from Nigdi to Shilphata, and the plan includes new bypasses and routes around the Lonavala and Khandala ghat sections, which are among the most congested and difficult parts of the corridor. Officials say the wider highway would ease traffic jams on the old road and reduce pressure on the parallel Mumbai-Pune Expressway.

Source: The Daily Jagran

Although the old highway is owned by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), MSRDC holds toll collection rights on the route until 2035. Sources indicated the corporation may seek an extension of those rights by another 10 to 15 years to recover the estimated project cost, which could keep tolls running until 2045 or 2050. The old highway stretches about 150 to 156 kilometres in total and was originally a two-lane road before being widened to four lanes as traffic grew.

Source: The Daily Jagran

The final scope, road design, proposed improvements and confirmed cost will be decided only after the DPR is completed. Separately, MSRDC has submitted a proposal to the state government to widen the Mumbai-Pune Expressway itself from its existing six lanes to ten.

Source: Hindustan Times via Curly Tales