A new 225-kilometer expressway is set to drastically reduce travel times between Pune and Aurangabad to just 2 hours and Nagpur to 4.5 hours. After nearly 22 months of discussions, the Union Ministry has officially approved the construction of this expressway linking Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (Aurangabad) to Pune in Maharashtra. The project, endorsed by Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India, Nitin Gadkari, will be developed under the BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) framework. Once completed, it is expected to significantly enhance transportation efficiency and stimulate economic activities in the region.
The construction of this expressway will transform regional connectivity, enabling faster travel from Nagpur to Jalna Samruddhi Mahamarg and onward to Pune from Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar. The current travel time of 10 hours and 30 minutes from Nagpur to Pune is anticipated to reduce to approximately four and a half hours, a substantial improvement in transportation efficiency according to a Pune Mirror report. Currently, the journey from Nagpur to Pune takes around 14 hours.
Earlier statements from Gadkari suggested that once the Mumbai-Delhi Expressway is completed, travel time between Pune and Aurangabad would be further reduced to two hours. Additionally, he laid the foundation for national highway projects worth Rs 2,300 crore in Satara and Sangli districts.
The Maharashtra Infrastructure Corporation has been assigned the task of executing the project, with substantial financial support from a Rs 3 billion loan from HUDCO (Housing and Urban Development Corporation). Furthermore, the renovation of the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar to Ahmednagar road will be funded through toll revenue collected from four toll booths along the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar to Shirur stretch.
The forthcoming expressway between Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar and Pune heralds a new era of connectivity and economic development in Maharashtra, promising a more efficient and seamless transportation network for commuters and businesses alike.
Meanwhile, the Nagpur-Mumbai Samridhi Mahamarg, spanning 701 kilometers, will directly link ten districts, twenty-six talukas, and approximately 392 villages. With a speed limit of 150 kilometers per hour, it will enable travelers to reach Nagpur and Mumbai within 8 hours. Consequently, the travel time from Mumbai to Aurangabad will be reduced to 4 hours, and from Aurangabad to Nagpur, another 4 hours.
This expressway will connect various industrial areas like the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC), dry ports of Wardha and Jalna, and Mumbai’s JNPT. Although originally slated for inauguration in May, the project experienced delays.
