There is good news for those who frequently travel between Mumbai, India’s financial centre, and Bengaluru, the country’s Silicon Valley. Bengaluru is about to get another highway, bringing Mumbai and Pune, two important cities in neighbouring Maharashtra, even closer.
The Pune-Bengaluru highway would cut the distance between the three cities travel times to seven hours. The highway is expected to cost approximately 50,000 crores and would be 699 kilometres long.
Authorities anticipate submitting a formal proposal to NHAI for the highway in December after completing a preliminary survey and creating a detailed project report (DPR), at which point land acquisition and construction would start. The expressway is anticipated to be made accessible to the general public in 2028, if the project is accepted.
The project also covers 12 districts, of which nine are in Karnataka and three in Maharashtra. They are Bengaluru Rural, Belagavi, Bagalkot, Gadag, Koppal, Vijayanagara (Ballari), Davanagere, Chitradurga, Tumakuru, Pune, Satara and Sangli. According to the report, the corridor runs from Kanjale on the proposed Pune Ring Road to Muthagadahalli on the planned Satellite Ring Road in the Bangalore Metropolitan Area.
Due to reduced traffic, the project is expected to increase commerce since it will encourage businesses to locate along the route. A 15-metre median for potential future widening is also planned, as are 55 flyovers, tree planting on both sides of the road, and other extensive infrastructure.
Decongestion of the existing roads, which serve as traffic conduits for traffic not just from Mumbai but also from Gujarat, Nashik, and Pune, in addition to Satara and Kolhapur, would make commercial operations more efficient.
The highway will also be a visual pleasure because it crosses 10 rivers namely – Nira, Yerala, Chand Nadi, Agrani, Krishna, Ghataprabha, Malaprabha, Tungabhadra, Chikka Hagari and Vedavath.
