The Mumbai–Pune Expressway, officially known as the Yashwantrao Chavan Expressway, is India's first six-lane wide concrete, access-controlled tolled expressway. It spans a distance of 94.5 km, connecting Raigad–Navi Mumbai–Mumbai, the financial capital of India, with Pune, the cultural and educational capital of Maharashtra. The expressway was fully operationalized in 2002 and introduced new levels of speed and safety to automobile transportation in India. It is one of the busiest roads in the country.
The expressway starts at Kalamboli in Raigad District's Navi Mumbai and ends at Kiwale in Pune. It cuts through the scenic Sahyadri mountain ranges through passes and tunnels, and has five interchanges: Kon (Shedung), Chowk, Khalapur, Kusgaon, and Talegaon. It has two carriageways, each with three concrete lanes, separated by a central divider with a tarmac or concrete shoulder on either side. Pedestrians, pedal bicycles, two-wheelers, three-wheelers, bullock carts, and tractors are not permitted on the expressway, though tractor-trailers are allowed. The expressway handles about 43,000 PCUs (passenger car equivalents) daily and is designed to handle up to 1,00,000 PCUs.
The expressway has reduced travel time from Kalamboli near Mumbai to Kiwale in Pune to about two hours, and has largely supplemented the older Mumbai–Pune section of NH 48, which had become congested and accident-prone. It is not part of the NHAI highway network and has been built, operated, and maintained entirely by the Government of Maharashtra through the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC).
History of Mumbai–Pune Expressway
1990–1994: Feasibility Studies The Government of Maharashtra appointed RITES (Rail India Technical and Economic Service) in 1990 to carry out feasibility studies for the new expressway, which was to be operated on a toll basis. RITES submitted its report in 1994, estimating the project cost at ₹11.46 billion (US$140 million).
1997: Construction Entrusted to MSRDC In March 1997, the Government of Maharashtra entrusted the construction work to the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) on a Build-Operate-Transfer basis, with permission to collect toll for 30 years. Environmental clearance was given by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, on 13 October 1997, and forest clearance followed on 11 November 1997.
1997–1998: Tendering Process The tender notice was published widely across India and on the internet. A total of 133 tenders were sold and 55 were received on 18 December 1997. After technical and financial evaluation, work orders were issued to four contractors on 1 January 1998. Tenders for widening of Khandala and the Lonavala–Khandala bypass were invited separately, received on 24 August 1998, with orders issued on 4 September 1998.
2000–2002: Construction and Opening This six-lane project was completed under the stewardship of MSRDC at a total cost of ₹16.3 billion (US$190 million). The original six tunnels on the route were built by the Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd, an agency with specialized tunnel-construction expertise. The first sections opened in 2000, and the entire route was completed and made fully operational in April 2002. The expressway was opened to the public in April 2001, initially without a posted speed limit.
2009: Naming and Speed Limit In 2009, the then ruling coalition of the Indian National Congress and Nationalist Congress Party named the expressway after Yashavantrao Chavan, the first Chief Minister of Maharashtra. The same year, a speed limit of 80 km/h was enacted after several accidents linked to over-speeding were reported.
2019: Speed Limit Changes In July 2019, a panel of experts agreed to raise the speed limit to 120 km/h. This was short-lived, as four months later in November 2019, the Highway Police reduced the speed limit to 100 km/h for cars and 80 km/h for trucks on flat terrain, with a 60 km/h limit on hilly terrain.
2019–2026: Missing Link Project As the expressway began suffering congestion, particularly on the incline section near Khandala and Lonavala due to heavy vehicle movement, an alternative road project called the "Mumbai Pune Missing Link" was approved. Construction began in March 2019 under MSRDC's oversight and includes two new tunnels (one of them 23 metres wide and 8.87 km long, making it the longest on the route) along with two viaducts, one of which is cable-stayed and passes below a lake in Lonavala. During this period, other sections of the expressway were progressively expanded from three lanes to four lanes on each side. The project was originally meant to be completed by March 2024, but the deadline has since been extended to August 2025 and subsequently to 2026. Both new tunnels were finally opened to traffic in May 2026.
Missing Link 1: This tunnel opened in May 2026. Both tubes are 1,680 m long.
Missing Link 2: This tunnel also opened in May 2026. Both tubes are 8,870 m long.
Also Read: Yamuna Pushta Elevated Corridor
Tunnels & Bridges on the Mumbai–Pune Expressway
At the time of opening, the expressway featured six illuminated, ventilated tunnels totaling 5,724 metres, built by the Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd. These include:
Tunnels
Bhatan – Opened in April 2000; the Mumbai-Pune (North) tube is 1,046 m.
Madap – Also opened in April 2000; the Mumbai-Pune (North) tube is 295 m.
Adoshi – Contains only a half part of the expressway, running from Pune to Mumbai.
Khandala – A curved pair of tubes; the Mumbai-Pune (North) tube is 320 m.
Kamshet-1 – The Mumbai-Pune (North) tube is 935 m and the Pune-Mumbai (South) tube is 972 m.
Kamshet-2 – The Mumbai-Pune (North) tube is 191 m and the Pune-Mumbai (South) tube is 168 m.
Viaducts
Viaduct 1 – The first bridge to bypass the Khandala-Lonavala area. It has a height of 50 m and a length of 950 m.
Viaduct 2 – A cable-stayed bridge constructed between the tunnels in Tiger Valley. It has a height of 184 m and a length of 650 m.
Toll Collection on Mumbai–Pune Expressway
Toll is collected at Khalapur (Pali Phata) for the Mumbai-to-Pune direction and at Talegaon for the Pune-to-Mumbai direction. The toll ranges from ₹540 (US$6.40) for private cars to ₹2,200 (US$26) for multi-axle trailer trucks. While a toll waiver was originally planned for 2030 after the investment and maintenance funds were recouped, the construction of the Missing Link and the proposed expansion from six to eight lanes have necessitated an extension of that waiver.
Also Read: Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II): Route, History, Phases, and Current Status
Current Status and Future Plans
MSRDC is currently planning to widen the expressway from its existing six lanes to eight lanes, with the proposal presented to the Maharashtra Cabinet for approval. Once completed, this expansion is expected to connect the route to central Pune, benefiting cabs, buses, and other forms of transport traveling between Mumbai and Pune.
In terms of safety upgrades, the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation announced in October 2023 the installation of Highway Traffic Management System (HTMS) gantries along the expressway. In December 2024, AI-based cameras were installed to track offences such as speeding, lane indiscipline, dangerous driving, and seatbelt violations, while also alerting traffic officers to unauthorized entry of prohibited vehicles.
Distance Breakdown of the Mumbai–Pune Expressway
The expressway's total length from start to end is approximately 93.1 km, broken down across multiple sections including the start point in Mumbai, the Kon-Shedung interchange, the Bhatan, Madap, Adoshi, Khandala, and Kamshet tunnels, the Khalapur and Talegaon toll stations, and ending at the Somatane interchange near Pune.
The Mumbai–Pune Expressway remains a landmark infrastructure project in India, having transformed connectivity between two of Maharashtra's most important cities while continuing to evolve through capacity expansion, safety upgrades, and modernization efforts.
Conclusion
Mumbai Pune Expressway, earlier called Yashwantrao Chavan Expressway, is one of the busiest expressways developed with safety measures and vehicle speed limits in place. It is the connecting link between Mumbai and Pune and has reduced the distance between the cities to about 2 hours. Since it opened to the public in 2002, it has resulted in huge economic development in the region.