https://indianexpress.comarticlecitiespunepune-ring-road-western-corridor-construction-progress-10566425lite
Pune Ring Road: A look at progress along stretch
Project expected to reduce travel time from Mumbai to Bangalore.
- Written by: Ajay Jadhav
- 7 min readPune
A year after the actual start of work, the much-awaited and ambitious Rs 55,622 crore and 168.605 km-long and 110 metre-wide Pune outer Ring Road work has gained momentum on the crucial western corridor stretch.
Underpasses and overpasses are being constructed with an aim to facilitate uninterrupted traffic on the ring road and will be fenced from both sides.
The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) is carrying out the Pune outer ring road project to ease traffic in the city which now must cut across the city to go from Mumbai to other parts of state.
The project has been divided into two parts – a 65.45 km long western corridor and a 103.155-km eastern corridor into seven packages.
The project comprises a 4 to six lane access controlled highway, which will be at a uniform level along its entirety to ensure hassle free commutes. It is being designed with a speed limit of 120 km per hour for a faster and smoother ride. The western corridor is divided into five packages while the Eastern corridor is divided into seven packages. The Western package from Urse on the Pune-Mumbai expressway connects to Shivare on the Pune-Bangalore highway, an provide an alternative to vehicles travelling from Mumbai to Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur and Bangalore.
The Indian Express travelled to construction sites of the western corridor and reviewed the status of the ongoing work. “Land acquisition for the western corridor is almost complete, enabling executive agencies to complete the work fast,” said Ajit Patil, executive engineer of MSRDC.
He said that even though the western corridor is in a tough terrain of hills, valleys and water bodies, the pace of work is faster than the eastern corridor.
At present, the commute from Urse to Shivare is 58 km on the Mumbai-Bangalore highway via Pune bypass, but it takes 1 hr 20 minutes as the bypass is within the city limits, which sees local traffic too. “Time between Urse and Shivare will be reduced to half an hour, saving time and money of vehicles used to ring roads. It will decongest the city roads as all vehicles, mainly heavy ones, going between Bangalore and Mumbai will be diverted,” said Patil.
The Maharashtra government is hopeful the development of Pune Ring Road will push development in the area, given its potential for economic growth due to resources in the region. MSRDC has acquired over 99 per cent of 1,054 hectares across 38 villages for the Western ring road.
MSRDC has also proposed planting trees along the road. Development of medical facilities, food courts, police stations, public toilets, petrol pumps, will definitely add value in the social and financial benefits in the region.
Western corridor
n Package 1:
The package from Urse to Kemsewadi is 14.65 km and falls under Maval and Mulshi tehsils and has been undertaken by Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Ltd. The project includes the construction of two tunnels, one interchange, 8 vehicle overpasses, one viaduct, one major bridge, two minor bridges, two vehicle underpasses, 10 box culverts, one light vehicle underpass and two public underpasses. Work along this package is slower than other packages of the western corridor, with construction of tunnels and a bridge along the Pawna River still in the initial stages.
“The work will speed up as it progresses. We will complete the work. The work on one km of the viaduct is 50 per cent complete. The work will be completed by the deadline of December 2027,” said MSRDC Deputy Engineer Vikram Karambale, incharge of W1 section of Pune Ring Road.
n package 2:
The Kemsewadi to Morewadi stretch is a 20-km long road and passes through Mulshi tehsil. The work on this package has been undertaken by Navayuga Engineering Company. It has two tunnels, two interchanges, seven vehicle overpasses, one major bridge, two minor bridges, 14 vehicle underpasses, 35 box culverts and 5 public underpasses. “A 150-metre tunnel has been created, while 50 per cent of the other 980-metre long tunnel is complete. Girders on 550 metres of the bridge has been done. Eighteen km of the 20 km route will be ready before the deadline of March 2028. Thirty per cent of work is complete now and the development of the rest will depend on when the land will be acquired,” said G H Gaikwad, deputy engineer of MSRDC.
n Package 3:
The 14 km of road from Morewadi to Vardade passes through tough terrain in Mulshi and Haveli tehsil. This package is being developed by Navayuga Engineering Ltd and the stretch includes three tunnels, two via ducts, four vehicle overpass, four vehicle underpass, one light vehicle underpass, two public underpasses, one minor bridge, two major bridges, 45 box culverts and two interchanges. “The 650-metre bridge on Khadakwasla dam will be ready by January next year. The target is to complete the construction of 32 piers before this year’s monsoon and slab launching will be taken up soon after that,” said Rajshekhar Reddy, project manager of Navayuga Engineering Ltd.
n Package 4:
Despite the Vardade to Kalyan stretch being just 7.5 km long, it has a six-km tunnel. The road is in Haveli tehsil and is being executed by Navayuga Engineering Ltd. Work includes construction of two box culverts, one vehicle underpass, one minor bridge. “Work on the twin tunnel is 50 per cent complete with 1.5 km on both sides of them,” said Madhu Jammula, Project Manager for W4.
n Package 5:
The last stretch of the western corridor is 9.38 km long from Kalyan to Shivare which falls under Haveli and Bhor tehsil and is being executed by GR Infrastructures Ltd. The road has 3.8 km elevated road and 5.6 km on the ground with an interchange at Shivare. The elevated road is in four parts and 1.05 km of it is near complete. “The work on the last 1.8 km of elevated road is to start soon but the land for one km of it is yet to be acquired otherwise the project will be completed by November 2027, six month ahead of the deadline,” said Prashant Disne, project incharge for GR Infrastructure Ltd. The stretch has three vehicle underpass, two vehicle overpass, four minor bridges, one major bridge and two interchanges.
Ajay Jadhav is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, Pune. With over 22 years of experience in the industry, he is a highly specialized journalist whose work focuses on the intersection of urban infrastructure, governance, and sustainability. Professional Background Role: As Assistant Editor, he plays a key role in the editorial direction of the Pune bureau, specializing in urban policy and its direct impact on citizens. Education: He holds a Master’s degree in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a PG Diploma in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). He also studied at the prestigious Fergusson College. Impactful Reporting: He is credited with research-based articles on conservancy staff (waste workers) that influenced national policy for better working conditions. He is also known for exposing the contrast between high-end infrastructure (like helipads for leaders) and the lack of basic amenities like schools in their home districts. Personal Interests: An avid trekker and sports enthusiast, his personal interest in the outdoors often informs his reporting on environmental protection and sustainable development. Recent Notable Articles (December 2025) His reporting in late 2025 has been dominated by the upcoming January 2026 Civic Polls in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, and the city's infrastructure boom: 1. Political Analysis (Civic Elections 2026) "Not friendly but a bitter fight lies ahead between BJP and NCP for PMC, PCMC" (Dec 22, 2025): A detailed look at the intense rivalry between the Mahayuti partners as they prepare for the January 15 municipal elections. "Pune civic polls: Big blow to NCP, NCP(SP) as leaders switch to BJP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on high-profile poaching and party-hopping ahead of the elections. "Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): Analyzing the results of the local self-government body elections as a precursor to the main civic polls. 2. Infrastructure & Urban Development "Looking Ahead at 2026: Pune to see inauguration of much-awaited Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar metro route" (Dec 22, 2025): An "outlook" piece on the critical Metro Line 3 project expected to finish by March 2026. "Building Pune: PMC to construct double-decker bridge over Mula-Mutha River" (Dec 18, 2025): Detailing a major project aimed at easing traffic between Hadapsar and Kharadi. "Condition of highway from Pune to Kolhapur to improve in a year: Gadkari" (Dec 4, 2025): Reporting on the Union Minister’s assurances regarding one of the state's most critical transport corridors. 3. Civic Governance & Environment "Install sensors, LED indicators at construction sites within 15 days: PMC to builders" (Dec 16, 2025): A follow-up to the "Breathless Pune" series, reporting on new mandates for builders to monitor air quality in real-time. "Errors in electoral rolls: PMC corrects data of 92,466 voters" (Dec 16, 2025): Tracking the administrative efforts to clean up the voter lists before the 2026 elections. Signature Style Ajay Jadhav is known for accountability journalism. His work often bridges the gap between high-level policy and the "ground zero" reality of Pune's residents. He is particularly focused on Sustainable Development, ensuring that as Pune grows into a "Bharat Mandapam" style destination (referring to his report on the Lohegaon project), its environmental and social safeguards remain intact. X (Twitter): @ajay_khape... Read More
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posted by DOMNIC @ March 07, 2026
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