Pune, 19th September 2024: The Shivdi-Nhava Sheva Sea Link Highway, popularly known as Atal Setu, which has significantly reduced travel time between Mumbai and Pune, will soon be connected to Solapur and Satara via an expressway. The project is estimated to cost ₹17,000 crore.

This new highway will provide direct road access from Atal Setu to Solapur and Satara, further reducing travel time between Mumbai and Pune. Officials from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) have stated that the new highway will reduce the travel time between Mumbai and Pune by 75-90 minutes.

The proposed 130-km-long highway will directly connect Atal Setu and JNPT (Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust) to Pune, Satara, and Solapur. It will feature eight lanes to ensure faster travel. The project is expected to cost ₹17,500 crore, and the NHAI is currently drafting the outline for this highway.

The existing Mumbai-Pune Expressway often faces heavy traffic, with long queues of vehicles, particularly in the ghat sections. Increased urbanization and industrialization along the expressway have exacerbated the problem of congestion. To address this, a “missing lane” is being constructed in the Lonavala area to reduce travel time, and the project is in its final stages. However, experts suggest that this measure may not be sufficient in the long term. In this context, connecting Atal Setu to Solapur and Satara via the expressway is seen as a major benefit.

Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari recently announced plans for another highway linking Atal Setu. A 14-lane road will be constructed, which will connect Bengaluru and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. This road will also be integrated with the Pune Ring Road.