Gadkari, Fadnavis Launch Two Key Elevated Highways, One Corridor to Decongest Pune; Connectivity to Solapur, Ahilyanagar and Mumbai to Improve
Pune, 18th July 2026 : Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday laid the foundation stone for two major elevated highway projects and a bypass road in Pune, saying the corridors will ease traffic congestion, reduce pollution and strengthen the city’s infrastructure as it emerges as a major economic hub.
The projects include the Pune–Shirur Elevated Highway, Talegaon–Chakan–Shikrapur Corridor, and Hadapsar–Yavat Elevated Highway. The event was held at Ganesh Kala Krida Manch in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Ajit Pawar, Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil, Public Works Minister Shivendrasinhraje Bhosale and other public representatives.
Addressing the gathering, Fadnavis said Pune is on course to becoming India’s leading hub for deep-tech industries and Global Capability Centres (GCCs), and could emerge as one of the country’s key growth engines by 2030.
He said the three corridors would provide a long-term solution to traffic bottlenecks, particularly on roads connecting major industrial clusters. Planned under the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) model, the projects are expected to generate an upfront premium of Rs 950 crore for the state government.
Fadnavis said the elevated corridors have been designed to accommodate future Metro lines, which would reduce the cost of Metro construction by nearly 40 per cent when implemented. He also said the government is exploring a twin-tunnel through Dive Ghat to improve connectivity to the proposed Purandar international airport, where more than half of the land acquisition has already been completed.
The Chief Minister said the government aims to complete the 173-km outer ring road and 86-km inner ring road within two years, which is expected to reduce traffic congestion in Pune by around 30 per cent. He also highlighted ongoing efforts to expand sewage treatment and water recycling infrastructure to meet the city’s future water demand.
Speaking at the event, Gadkari said the three elevated corridors would play a key role in addressing Pune’s growing traffic congestion and air pollution. He said the projects use advanced engineering solutions to overcome land acquisition constraints while improving mobility.
The Union minister said the state government had extended significant support by waiving GST on steel and cement used in the projects, besides providing concessions on royalties for construction materials and expediting land acquisition.
Gadkari also said the Centre is promoting the use of ultra-high-performance fibre-reinforced concrete technology, which allows longer bridge spans with fewer pillars and enables integrated road and Metro infrastructure.
He added that new highway projects, including the Surat–Nashik–Ahilyanagar–Solapur corridor, would divert 40-45 per cent of north-south traffic away from Pune and Mumbai, easing pressure on both cities.
Project highlights
Pune–Shirur Elevated Highway: A 54-km corridor featuring a 31-km six-lane elevated highway with a parallel four-lane service road. Travel time between Pune and Shirur is expected to reduce from up to two hours to 45-50 minutes.
Hadapsar–Yavat Elevated Highway: A 31.5-km corridor, including a 25-km multi-level elevated highway with provision for a future Metro line up to Uruli Kanchan and connectivity to the proposed Purandar airport.
Talegaon–Chakan–Shikrapur Corridor: A 53-km project comprising a 26-km elevated highway and a four-lane surface road, aimed at improving connectivity to the Chakan industrial belt, Pune Ring Road and national highways while segregating local and through traffic.
