Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has said that a road network worth around 60,000 crore rupees will be developed in and around Pune to make the city congestion and pollution-free. Speaking at the ‘Festival of Thinkers’ at Symbiosis International University, Lavale, on the theme “Infrastructure Development – The Road to Viksit Bharat”, Mr. Gadkari said several major projects, including Pune-Shirur, Hadapsar-Yavat, Talegaon-Chakan-Shikrapur and Shirur-Sambhajinagar, are being taken up. He said the proposed Pune-Sambhajinagar expressway aims to reduce the travel time between the two cities to around two hours.
Mr. Gadkari said the Pune-Satara and Pune-Solapur highways will be upgraded, while elevated road projects and new expressways will further strengthen connectivity between Mumbai, Pune and Bengaluru. These projects will help divert through traffic away from Pune and reduce congestion in the city. He said better road infrastructure will boost tourism, industries and employment opportunities, adding that technology, research, transparency and faster decision-making are driving infrastructure development across the country.
