Traffic projection for 2020 on mind, government plans fast lanes, tunnels between cities.
Just two hours — that is what it will take to reach Pune from Mumbai. The government is planning to construct super fast lanes and tunnels to cut down travel time between the cities. A drive between the cities through the expressway takes nearly three hours at present.
“The project, which is under way, has to be fine-tuned but it is essential keeping in mind the traffic projection for 2020,” said Jaidutt Kshirsagar, minister for public works department (public undertakings).
Traffic between the cities is expected to increase by almost 20% close to a decade later as more and more people move to and fro for jobs. The existing express highway will not be able to handle the traffic congestion. At least 10 more lanes are required to handle the pressure, he added.
A long tunnel between Khopoli and Sinhagad to ensure uninterrupted drive is high on the ministry’s agenda right now.
“The state won’t have to make any investments as the project would be undertaken on built-operate-transfer (BoT) basis,” the minister said.
The ministry is also taking into consideration factors like growing incident of accidents on the expressway. Additional hi-speed lanes would be a solution to it, it feels.
The final cost is yet to be worked out. But the government is not confident of roping in the private sector for the project.
“The expressways are devised to ensure that vehicles move in high speed. But accidents on these often affect the travel time. In some cases, disruption happens because one lane has to blocked off after a mishap,” said Kshirsagar. The minister reckons that any project since its conception would require a minimum of two to three years before it becomes operational.
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