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India’s longest flyover spanning 31 km to be built on Pune-Nagar national highway

“I had told the state government that the Centre would work towards tackling traffic issues on highways in Pune and requested the state to exempt GST, bear cost of land acquisition and free royalty on construction material", Union Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari said.

PuneThe project on the national highway from Pune to Ahilyanagar will be constructed from Pune to Shirur. (File Photo)

With an aim to resolve vexed traffic issues in Pune, the Centre is planning a slew of road projects, including the country’s longest flyover, on national highways worth Rs 45,000 crore to make Pune congestion and pollution free.

“I had told the state government that the Centre would work towards tackling traffic issues on highways in Pune and requested the state to exempt GST, bear cost of land acquisition and free royalty on construction material. I want to lay the foundation stone for four road projects and accordingly urged the state government to do the planning,” Union Roads and Highway Minister Nitin Gadkari said in the city on Friday.

After reviewing highway works in Pune, he said three of four projects will be developed by the Maharashtra State Infrastructure Development Corporation (MSIDC) for the Centre. These projects will be jointly developed by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and MSIDC,” Gadkari said.

The project on the national highway from Pune to Ahilyanagar will be constructed from Pune to Shirur. It will be a 53.4-km elevated road developed at a cost of Rs 7,514 crore now and later expanded as a 192-km greenfield expressway corridor from Shirur to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar at a cost of Rs 14,886 crore. “The 31 km of the 53-km elevated road from Pune to Shirur will be the longest flyover of the country with six lanes. It will start from Kharadi junction and end near Ranjangaon MIDC. Also, there will be three sections — 7.4-km flyover from Kharadi to Vithalwadi at the beginning with a four-lane road below, then flyover for vehicles at level one and Metro at level two,” Gadkari said, cutting travel time from one and half hour to 45 minutes.

“Pune to Aurangabad travel time will be reduce to two hours as it will bypass Ahilyanagar city,” he said.

The second project consists of a 25-km four-lane elevated route from Talegaon to Chakan at a cost of Rs 6,499 crore and six laning of 28 km road from Chakan to Shikrapur at Rs 5,232 crore. A 31.50-km-long road on Pune-Solapur national highway from Hadapsar to Yavat will be developed at a cost of Rs 5,262 crore. It will be a six-lane elevated highway.

Also, work on the proposed six-lane road and eight-lane flyover from Nashikphata to Khed will be taken up soon at a cost of Rs 7,808 crore. “Ninety-three per cent of land has been acquired and remaining will be done by March 25,” Gadkari said.

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The Union government is also taking up development of service road from Narhe to Ravet at a cost of Rs 1,600 crore. Besides, a Rs 6,000-crore 32-km elevated road has been planned to tackle accidents and traffic jams on the Mumbai-Bangalore bypass, which will have a highway at level one and Metro route if possible, he said.

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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