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Increases budget by Rs 5 crore: Pune civic body to speed up widening of old Mumbai-Pune highway

The old Mumbai-Pune highway continues to witness heavy traffic despite alternate roads via Aundh and Baner being developed by the administration.

3 min readPuneJan 23, 2026 10:22 PM IST

The old road is a hub of connectivity between Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad and is the road that provides access to vehicles going towards Mumbai. (File Photo)

To ensure smooth flow of traffic on the busy road, the Pune civic body has decided to complete the widening of the old Mumbai-Pune highway by spending an additional Rs five crore required for the proposed work.

The old Mumbai-Pune road from Shivajinagar passes through the area of Kirkee Cantonment Board (KCB) and provides connectivity to Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) via Rajiv Gandhi Bridge on Mula river. The old Mumbai-Pune highway continues to witness heavy traffic despite alternate roads via Aundh and Baner being developed by the administration.

The old road is a hub of connectivity between Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad and is the road that provides access to vehicles going towards Mumbai.

Most of the state transport buses plying between Mumbai and Pune, Ahilyanagar, Solapur, Kolhapur use the old Mumbai-Pune highway. In addition, it is widely used by daily commuters travelling for job and education in both the municipal corporation area. The same stretch of road provides connectivity to Nashik district from Pune and other western Maharashtra districts.

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“The PMC has undertaken widening of the old Mumbai-Pune highway, development of Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) on the stretch and development work along the highway near Bopodi. There is shortage of funds for completing the work so Rs five crore from budgetary allocation for widening of Ganeshkhind road will be used now since its implementation would require some more time due to administrative processes,” said municipal commissioner Naval Kishore Ram.

A proposal to divert the funds was approved in the civic standing committee and general body meeting this week.

The civic Road department had informed that widening of Ganeshkhind road to 45 metre from Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) to Sancheti hospital junction is being done but the civic administration has started process of removing or transplanting the trees on the land and is awaiting approval of Tree Authority committee.

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Also, the civic body only got possession of 12 of the total 52 properties to be affected due to widening of Ganshkhind road and the process to get possession of the remaining route is being completed. The administrative process for clearing all the pre-work for widening of Ganeshkhind road will take time and the budget allocation for the work is unlikely to be spent in the current financial year till March 2026, which can be made available for the widening of old Mumbai-Pune highway, a civic officer said.

The work of widening the old Mumbai-Pune highway is 95 per cent completed at an expense of Rs 63.57 crore while the overall project cost is Rs 72.57 crore.

Ajay Jadhav

Ajay Jadhav is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, Pune. With over 22 years of experience in the industry, he is a highly specialized journalist whose work focuses on the intersection of urban infrastructure, governance, and sustainability. Professional Background Role: As Assistant Editor, he plays a key role in the editorial direction of the Pune bureau, specializing in urban policy and its direct impact on citizens. Education: He holds a Master’s degree in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a PG Diploma in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). He also studied at the prestigious Fergusson College. Impactful Reporting: He is credited with research-based articles on conservancy staff (waste workers) that influenced national policy for better working conditions. He is also known for exposing the contrast between high-end infrastructure (like helipads for leaders) and the lack of basic amenities like schools in their home districts. Personal Interests: An avid trekker and sports enthusiast, his personal interest in the outdoors often informs his reporting on environmental protection and sustainable development. Recent Notable Articles (December 2025) His reporting in late 2025 has been dominated by the upcoming January 2026 Civic Polls in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, and the city's infrastructure boom: 1. Political Analysis (Civic Elections 2026) "Not friendly but a bitter fight lies ahead between BJP and NCP for PMC, PCMC" (Dec 22, 2025): A detailed look at the intense rivalry between the Mahayuti partners as they prepare for the January 15 municipal elections. "Pune civic polls: Big blow to NCP, NCP(SP) as leaders switch to BJP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on high-profile poaching and party-hopping ahead of the elections. "Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): Analyzing the results of the local self-government body elections as a precursor to the main civic polls. 2. Infrastructure & Urban Development "Looking Ahead at 2026: Pune to see inauguration of much-awaited Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar metro route" (Dec 22, 2025): An "outlook" piece on the critical Metro Line 3 project expected to finish by March 2026. "Building Pune: PMC to construct double-decker bridge over Mula-Mutha River" (Dec 18, 2025): Detailing a major project aimed at easing traffic between Hadapsar and Kharadi. "Condition of highway from Pune to Kolhapur to improve in a year: Gadkari" (Dec 4, 2025): Reporting on the Union Minister’s assurances regarding one of the state's most critical transport corridors. 3. Civic Governance & Environment "Install sensors, LED indicators at construction sites within 15 days: PMC to builders" (Dec 16, 2025): A follow-up to the "Breathless Pune" series, reporting on new mandates for builders to monitor air quality in real-time. "Errors in electoral rolls: PMC corrects data of 92,466 voters" (Dec 16, 2025): Tracking the administrative efforts to clean up the voter lists before the 2026 elections. Signature Style Ajay Jadhav is known for accountability journalism. His work often bridges the gap between high-level policy and the "ground zero" reality of Pune's residents. He is particularly focused on Sustainable Development, ensuring that as Pune grows into a "Bharat Mandapam" style destination (referring to his report on the Lohegaon project), its environmental and social safeguards remain intact. X (Twitter): @ajay_khape ... Read More

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