Pune-Satara highway now to have six lanes

PUNE: Motorists on the Pune-Satara national highway will soon be able to enjoy the pleasure of driving on a six-lane way. The decision was made, after the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) received as many as 27 bids from private companies to convert the four-lane, 140 km long, Pune-Satara highway into six lanes.
A senior NHAI official said the expansion would also be extended to the Katraj-Dehu road bypass.

In addition, the Rs1,724.55crore project will also include the construction of seven-metre-wide service lanes on both sides of the highway. From 60,000 to one lakh vehicles ply between Pune-Satara daily.

However, an NHAI official said the number of motorists using the Katraj-Dehu road bypass is more than those using the Pune-Satara national highway.

While the project will be commissioned on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis, the official said the contract will be awarded to a private developer in March 2009. “The work is expected to commence from September 2009,” he said, explaining that the work for the six-laning of the 140 km stretch between Pune and Satara, and the bypass, will be completed in three years.

“We are also examining the feasibility of constructing a few flyovers on the highway,” the official said.