Cabinet Approves Rs 6,500 Crore Highway Project in Pune; Long-Stalled NH-548D Work to Begin Soon
Pune, 25th April 2025: The Maharashtra state cabinet has approved a long-pending ₹6,500 crore highway project aimed at easing traffic congestion along one of Pune district’s busiest corridors—National Highway 548D. The project will connect Talegaon, Chakan, and Shikrapur through a combination of elevated and surface roads.
The NH-548D plan includes a 25-kilometer, four-lane elevated highway from Talegaon to Chakan and a six-lane surface road from Chakan to Shikrapur. With this approval, construction on the long-delayed project is expected to commence soon, marking a significant milestone in regional infrastructure development.
The move has brought fresh hope to commuters and residents in Maval, Khed, and Shirur, who have long demanded a solution to growing traffic congestion in the area.
Initially proposed in the state budget by Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar, the elevated stretch alone is estimated to cost ₹6,499 crore. The Pune–Shirur highway has also been included in the broader infrastructure roadmap.
Although a detailed project report had been finalized earlier, implementation was stalled due to delays in land acquisition and the bidding process. So far, around ₹410 crore has been allocated for land acquisition, and a draft proposal was submitted earlier this year.
The road, which was previously under the central government’s jurisdiction, was transferred to the state last year. Construction will now be managed by the newly established Maharashtra State Infrastructure Development Corporation (MSIDC) under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model.
With this green signal, the state government aims to accelerate infrastructure upgrades in the Pune region, addressing long-standing demands from both residents and local representatives.
