Maharashtra government weighs proposal to make Mumbai-Pune Expressway eight-lane

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government was considering a proposal to expand the six-lane Mumbai-Pune Expressway into an eight-lane one, public works (MSRDC) minister Eknath Shinde said here today.

The ambitious Expressway project was undertaken when the Shiv Sena-BJP government was in power during 1995-99. Now, with the two parties sharing power again, there is talk of widening it.

"The number of vehicles plying on the road has grown by a huge number in last 15 years and the present Expressway is unable to cater to this," the minister said.

"A tunnel could also be built between Khalapur and Sinhgad to ease traffic," Shinde said.

The Mumbai Pune Expressway, (officially known as the Yashwantrao Chavan Mumbai Pune Expressway) is India's first six-lane concrete, high-speed road.