The Rs 17,000 crore project promises to make travel faster, reduce congestion, and improve connectivity throughout Maharashtra.
Travel between Pune and Mumbai is about to get a major upgrade with the new Shivdi-Nhava Sheva Sea Link, also known as the Atal Setu, which will connect to an upcoming expressway linking Solapur and Satara. This expansive project is set to cut travel time between Pune and Mumbai by as much as 90 minutes, bringing the journey down to just two hours.
Currently, the 3- to 4-hour drive on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway is often slowed down by heavy traffic, particularly in the Ghat areas, leading to bottlenecks and delays. The new expressway’s 130-kilometer, eight-lane design will streamline travel, reduce congestion, and significantly ease traffic flow, shaving off 75 to 90 minutes for a faster and smoother journey. This will greatly boost connectivity between Pune and Mumbai.
The expressway will also connect key areas such as the Atal Setu, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), Pune, Solapur, and Satara. With this direct access, both goods transport and passenger travel will become more efficient across the high-traffic corridor—a crucial improvement as urbanization and industrialization grow rapidly in the region.
With traffic along the Mumbai-Pune route steadily increasing, the new expressway will help alleviate pressure on the current expressway. Although efforts to improve traffic flow are already underway, such as constructing a ‘missing lane’ near Lonavala, this may not fully accommodate future traffic growth. The new expressway, by linking Atal Setu directly with Solapur and Satara, will provide a much-needed alternate route to ease the load.
Driving Economic Growth and Connectivity
This infrastructure project is expected to stimulate economic growth by improving transportation across Maharashtra. The faster travel times, reduced congestion, and improved connectivity between industrial and urban hubs will support economic activity and productivity, making commuting more efficient.
As the project nears completion, both commuters and businesses can look forward to a significant transformation in transportation between Pune and Mumbai, paving the way for a smoother, faster future of travel in Maharashtra.