The Rs 500 billion Pune–Bengaluru Greenfield Expressway project is currently
awaiting final clearance from the central government, despite both Maharashtra
and Karnataka having approved and submitted the detailed project report (DPR)
in February. The report was prepared by the National Highways Authority of
India (NHAI).
According to project supervisory officer
Omkar Jagdale, land acquisition will begin only once the Centre gives its
formal approval.
Part of the Centre’s Bharatmala Pariyojana,
the proposed 745-kilometre eight-lane expressway is designed to drastically
reduce travel time between Pune and Bengaluru from the current 12–14 hours to
just 6–7 hours. The corridor will run through 12 districts — three in
Maharashtra and nine in Karnataka.
The expressway will begin at Kanjale
village on the proposed Pune Ring Road, cutting across Satara and Sangli in
Maharashtra. It will then pass through Belagavi, Bagalkot, Gadag, Koppal,
Vijayanagar, Davanagere, Chitradurga, Tumakuru, and Bengaluru Rural before
entering Bengaluru city.
Of the estimated 21,000 acres required for
the project, around 7,166 acres will be acquired in Maharashtra and 12,355
acres in Karnataka.
Rajendra Patil, who runs a logistics company
in Pune, said the expressway will be a game-changer for businesses. “Delays and
traffic jams on the existing highway hurt our operations. This project will be
a lifeline for thousands of commuters and companies.”
