Construction of Pune-Shirur Elevated Highway to Begin in July

Work on the 53.4 km Pune-Shirur six-lane elevated highway is set to begin by June or July this year, with the Maharashtra State Infrastructure Development Corporation (MSIDC) confirming the completion of the second pre-bid process for the ₹7,515-crore project.

"We are on track with the tendering process and expect to begin construction by the middle of the year," an MSIDC official told TOI on Tuesday. The project aims to enhance connectivity and reduce travel time while addressing recurring pothole issues on the existing route.

According to officials, work will be awarded by April or May, with actual construction commencing after financial closure in June or July. Bidders' queries from two pre-bid meetings have been addressed, and additional concerns raised via email will be responded to soon.

Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar highlighted the project as a key infrastructure initiative for Pune in his state Budget 2025-26 speech on Monday. Approved by the state cabinet in 2024, the project will be executed under the design, build, finance, operate, and transfer (DBFOT) model, requiring the acquisition of 41 hectares of land and an estimated four-year completion timeline.

"It will transform connectivity between Pune and Shirur, eventually linking to the Samruddhi Highway and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar," a senior MSIDC official said. The project will follow a public-private partnership (PPP) model with a 30-year concession period. "Since the project will be on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis, we do not expect any funds from the state government," another official added.

Initially under the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the project was transferred to MSIDC after an MoU between the central and state governments in March last year. MSIDC reissued bids after NHAI's earlier tender process was scrapped.

Land acquisition is expected to be minimal, as the elevated corridor will primarily follow the existing Pune-Shirur highway. The project will also include improvements to the current highway, following the detailed project report prepared earlier by NHAI.

ET