67% of Atal Setu-Mumbai-Pune Expressway link built, Panvel jam relief expected

Work on the road linking Atal Setu with the Mumbai-Pune Expressway is 67 per cent complete. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is building the 7.35-km, six-lane elevated corridor. The aim is to speed up road connectivity between Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Pune. Once the link opens, travel from South Mumbai to Pune is expected to take about 60 to 90 minutes less than at present.

Atal Setu has made the journey between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai easier. However, vehicles heading towards Pune, Goa and Jawaharlal Nehru Port put heavy pressure on traffic in the main junction area of Panvel. Traffic coming from Atal Setu merges with traffic from the major highways at one point, causing jams. To ease the problem, MMRDA is building a separate six-lane elevated route via Chirle and Palaspe.

A distinctive feature of the project is that the elevated route is being built at a third level above existing roads and bridges. The objective is to make the most of the available space and keep traffic moving without obstruction. Most of the foundation and pier work in the Chirle section has been done. In the Palaspe section, too, key structural work has gathered pace.

Once the link opens, vehicles coming from Atal Setu will be able to reach the Mumbai-Pune Expressway directly, without passing through Panvel's crowded major intersections. This should help reduce the traffic load at the Panvel junction. Traffic management on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and the Mumbai-Goa highway is also expected to improve.

The corridor will also strengthen road connectivity towards the Navi Mumbai International Airport. Nearby industrial, commercial and logistics areas will benefit as well. Travel and freight movement between Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Goa and Jawaharlal Nehru Port will become easier. The route will also be important in distributing traffic properly on National Highway 48 and National Highway 348, allowing passenger and goods vehicles to move more efficiently.

The project is linked to MMRDA's larger vision of "Mumbai in 59 Minutes". The authority wants to create an integrated transport system by connecting metro lines, expressways, tunnels, ring roads and key link routes.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that connecting cities, industries, ports and newly developing hubs effectively is essential for Maharashtra's economic growth. According to him, Atal Setu has transformed connectivity between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, and the new link will make connectivity between Mumbai and Pune, two important economic centres, faster still.

Deputy Chief Minister and MMRDA chairman Eknath Shinde also expressed hope that the project would save 60 to 90 minutes of travel time. He said jams in the Panvel area would ease and commuters would get relief.

MMRDA Metropolitan Commissioner Dr Sanjay Mukherjee described the 67 per cent physical progress as an important milestone. He expressed confidence that once this key link between Atal Setu and the Mumbai-Pune Expressway is complete, regional traffic will be distributed more effectively and pressure on existing junctions will reduce.