Pune:The state cabinet’s infrastructure committee has approved the Talegaon–Chakan–Shikrapur elevated highway on NH 548D, aimed at easing congestion in the city’s industrial belt and improving regional connectivity.The proposal was cleared at a meeting chaired by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai earlier this week.Officials from the Maharashtra State Infrastructure Development Corporation (MSIDC) told TOI that the CM had stressed the need to expand highway infrastructure to support industrial growth and ensure smoother and faster transportation across the state, particularly in rapidly growing industrial corridors around Pune.Under the approved plan, the Talegaon–Chakan stretch will be developed with a four-lane elevated corridor along with a parallel four-lane at-grade road, while the Chakan–Shikrapur stretch will be upgraded into a four-lane at-grade highway under the DFBOT (design, finance, build, operate and transfer) model. Officials said the corridor would significantly reduce travel time and streamline freight and commuter movement in the heavily industrialised region.Citizen groups have given several representations to speed up the widening due to the daily traffic congestion woes.The Traffic Free Chakan Action Committee members while welcoming the decision called it a major step towards easing long-standing congestion.Committee representative Kunal Kad said the group had been consistently pursuing the project and sought an early joint meeting with the chief minister, who had promised to address the issue after last year’s agitation, to speed up implementation. He added that while the project is expected to be completed within four years of work order issuance, there is still no clarity on when the work order will be issued. The committee also flagged frequent transfers of key officials, including the PMRDA commissioner, as a hurdle to coordination and stressed the need for stronger inter-departmental coordination.The 53.2km Talegaon–Chakan–Shikrapur corridor is considered critical as it connects key industrial zones and links NH-48, Pune–Shirur corridor and MIDC areas. Around 56 hectares of land will be required and construction is expected to take four years after finalisation of the executing agency, with completion targeted around 2030, according to officials.The project aims to separate industrial freight traffic from local commuter movement, providing relief to the Chakan industrial area, one of Maharashtra’s largest automobile and manufacturing hubs that frequently faces severe traffic bottlenecks. Fadnavis directed officials to ensure quality execution and timely completion.Deputy chief minister Sunetra Ajit Pawar, public works minister Shivendrasinhraje Bhosale, chief secretary Rajesh Agrawal, MSIDC managing director Brijesh Dixit and senior officials attended the meeting, while additional chief secretary (PWD) Milind Mhaiskar delivered the project presentation.
