He explained that the proposed Mumbai-Pune-Bengaluru expressway is expected to reduce travel time between Mumbai and Bengaluru to eight hours and shorten the journey between Pune and Mumbai to one and a half hours. This statement was made during the foundation-laying ceremony for upgrading the Dahiwadi-Mayni-Vita stretch of NH-160, a project costing Rs 6.32 billion, which took place in Vita, Sangli district.
The minister revealed that the construction of the JNPT-Shivare section would involve an investment of Rs 100 billion. He described how the parallel road between Mumbai and Pune would begin at the Atal Setu and connect to Pune's ring road. The expressway will span 360 km in Maharashtra and 496 km in Karnataka, allowing travel from Atal Setu to Pune in approximately one and a half hours and from Pune to Bengaluru in nearly five hours. Gadkari noted that the expressway would traverse drought-prone areas, promoting economic growth in the region. He also mentioned that landing sites for aircraft have been proposed at five locations along the expressway. The total length of the expressway will be 800 km, with a speed limit set at 120 km per hour.
Gadkari reflected on his time as Maharashtra's irrigation minister, stating that he prioritized irrigation schemes, which enabled local farmers to cultivate cash crops like sugar cane and enhance their economic conditions. He highlighted that the Pune-Bengaluru highway contributed to the economic prosperity of cities such as Satara and Kolhapur, and similarly, the new expressway passing through rural areas in Raigad, Pune, Satara, and Sangli districts would foster economic development in those regions.
In addition, Gadkari conducted an aerial inspection of the construction work on the Sangli-Kolhapur stretch of NH166 (Nagpur-Ratnagiri Highway) and the six-laning project of Kagal-Satara, part of NH48, using a helicopter.
