Katraj flyover ready by December to seamlessly connect Pune to national highways

The Pune civic body and NHAI have accelerated work on the long-pending Katraj-Kondhwa road, and the full road widening will wrap up by March 2027.

Pune Katraj flyoverThe Katraj junction flyover connecting Katraj-Kondhwa Road to the Bengaluru-Mumbai bypass is scheduled for completion by December 2026 (Express photo).

As the Pune civic body accelerates work on the long-pending Katraj-Kondhwa road, the flyover connecting the stretch to the Bangalore-Mumbai bypass at Katraj junction will be completed by the end of this year, while the 50-metre-wide road will be developed by March next year, according to Shruti Naik, executive engineer of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

The bypass will ensure seamless traffic movement between the Katraj-Kondhwa road and the Bangalore-Mumbai bypass, enabling vehicles from the Pune-Solapur national highway to reach the Pune-Mumbai or Pune-Satara highways without entering city limits.

Officials from the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and the NHAI recently conducted a site inspection to review progress on the Katraj-Kondhwa road and the Katraj Chowk flyover.

During the review, authorities decided to acquire 10 additional properties crucial for road development that were previously excluded from the acquisition process. The civic body has pushed to fast-track the 3.5-km-long Katraj-Kondhwa road project, which faced years of delays due to land acquisition hurdles.

Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram directed officials to acquire the required land as soon as possible after holding discussions with landowners. He instructed all involved agencies to meet the March 2027 deadline for the 50-metre widening work.

“It was also decided to complete the necessary land acquisition process to further widen the Katraj-Kondhwa Road to 84 metres, with a target completion date of March 2028,” Commissioner Ram said.

He noted that most of the service road work is complete, though electric poles must still be removed to facilitate construction of the grade separator bridge.

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The PMC also plans to develop a 9-km extension from Khadi Machine Chowk to Wadki Chowk to connect the Mumbai-Satara highway with the Solapur highway.

Long-delayed project

The PMC completed land acquisition for the Katraj road widening in over 28 years with an investment of Rs 21 crore. The Katraj junction has traditionally served as an entry point to Pune for travellers coming from Bangalore, Goa, Kolhapur, Sangli, and Satara.

However, despite the construction of a new road as part of the Mumbai-Bangalore bypass via Narhe, the traffic situation at Katraj continued to worsen due to the increasing volume of vehicles on the narrow Katraj-Kondhwa road, which connects the city to Saswad and Solapur.

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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