Heavy Traffic On Mumbai-Bengaluru Highway To Ease With Construction of 4-Lane Bridges Over Mutha River

Pune: In a bid to tackle traffic congestion and improve road safety, the Union government has initiated major rectification work on black spots identified along the Mumbai-Bangalore bypass. The project kicks off with the construction of two four-lane bridges over the Mutha River, aimed at reducing bottlenecks and easing traffic flow in Warje, Vadgaon, Narhe, and Ambegaon.The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is leading the effort to resolve the traffic issues that have worsened since the expansion of Chandni Chowk. While the expansion eased congestion at the junction, it increased the load on the existing Mutha River bridge, which has become a choke point for vehicles travelling between Pune, Mumbai, Goa, and Bangalore. The congestion also affects daily commuters between Katraj and Hinjewadi, as per an Indian Express report.Union Highways and Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari will preside over the foundation stone-laying ceremony this Saturday for the new bridge project. The initiative will add lanes on either side of the existing two-lane bridge, effectively doubling its capacity in both directions."The project, costing Rs 52.68 crore, will cover a 1.605 km stretch on the bypass, including two four-lane bridges on both sides of the existing Mutha River bridge. Two underpasses, ten minor bridges over nallahs, and two canal bridges will also be built to connect a missing service road from Sinhagad Road to Warje," an NHAI official said. The bypass's black spots—identified at Bhumkar Chowk, Navale Bridge, Mutha Bridge, Bavdhan, and Wakad—will undergo rectification, with additional plans for foot overbridges at Bhujbal Chowk and Chandni Chowk and major bridge constructions at the Mula and Mutha rivers.The NHAI has split the work into two projects for efficient completion. The first covers a 5.95 km stretch, including Bhumkar Chowk, Navale Bridge, Bavdhan, Wakad, and foot overbridges at NDA Chowk and Bhujbal Chowk, with a cost estimate of Rs 27.54 crore. This includes the construction of a bridge over the Mula River in Wakad. The second project, focusing on the Warje-Narhe section, involves constructing the two new bridges over the Mutha River.