Travel on Mumbai-Pune Expressway is going to get even better in the next few years. MSRDC has submitted a fresh financial proposal to Maharashtra government to widen the route into a 10-lane superhighway by 2030.

This development comes as motorists are already reveling at the newly-opened missing link that bypasses the ghats and has resulted in much smoother drives ensuring safety while escaping the chronic traffic jams in the ghats of Lonavala and Khandala. The missing link is saving about 25-30 minutes of driving time between Maharashtra’s two most important cities, namely, Mumbai and Pune.

The 94.6 km access-controlled expressway (running from Kalamboli in Navi Mumbai to Kiwale near Pune) opened in 2002. It was originally designed for a 30-year lifespan but reached its capacity much faster than expected.

It currently handles an average of 65,000 vehicles on weekdays and surges past 100,000 vehicles on weekends and holidays. Traffic is growing at an annual rate of 5% to 6%, making regular gridlock a massive pain point for commuters.

The upgrade is considered critical to support the exponential growth of the expressway, especially with upcoming international airports in both Navi Mumbai and Pune. It is targeted to be completed by 2030.

If the state cabinet approves the project, tendering will begin. Work orders are expected to be issued by 2027, with a construction window of roughly three years starting in 2027.

The biggest challenge will be to expand the expressway while keeping the existing lanes open to traffic alongside construction.

Project Cost

The overall project cost is estimated at ₹14,260 crore, with pure construction costs making up ₹8,440 crore (an increase of ₹1,420 crore over initial estimates due to upgrading from an 8-lane to a 10-lane model).

The project will be executed via a Public-Private Partnership (PPP), specifically under a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model.

No Immediate Toll Hike

Commuters likely won’t face an increased toll rate to fund this widening. Instead, MSRDC plans to make the project viable by extending the existing toll concession period beyond its current expiration date of 2045.

Land Acquisition

Fortuitously, land acquisition issues will be minimal since MSRDC already owns most of the adjacent right-of-way. Only minor, isolated pockets near tunnel entries will need to be acquired.