Mumbai-Pune e-way gets ₹4,000-cr expansion

The state government has sanctioned ₹4,000 crore for the expansion of the Mumbai–Pune e-way, which will bypass the Amrutanjan Bridge. The Bor Ghat stretch will be cut short by six kms after construction of two new bridges and two tunnels. The Mumbai-Pune Expressway has failed to solve traffic congestion and now the project is being handed over to Afcons Infrastructure, an arm of Shapoorji Pallonji. Work will begin from Khopoli exit, which is the Khalapur barrier area, through an interchange at Kusgaon, at the Pune-end of the expressway. This bridge will be 770 metres long and 30 metres high and will have four lanes in either direction. After construction of the bridge, work will begin on the first tunnel, which will be 1.60 km long. The construction of the second bridge, a cable-stayed structure, approximately 645 metres long and 135 metres high, will be a tougher proposition, as it will be located in a deep valley and will be the first such bridge in India. The second tunnel will also be challenging, as it will be dug below Nagfani hill and will be 8.9 km long and 150 metres deep and will emerge directly outside Sinhagad Institute near Lonavla.