The 7.35-kilometre, six-lane Mumbai-Pune Expressway connector linking the Atal Setu with the Mumbai-Pune Expressway has reached 67% physical progress, according to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). The elevated corridor is expected to reduce travel time between south Mumbai and Pune by around 60 to 90 minutes once it becomes operational.
The project is being developed through the Chirle and Palaspe sections of Navi Mumbai. It is intended to provide a direct connection between Atal Setu, also known as the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, and the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, reducing the need for vehicles to pass through heavily pressured junctions around Panvel.
The proposed link is aimed at improving traffic movement between Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and the wider regional road network. The existing road system carries vehicles travelling towards Pune, Goa and Jawaharlal Nehru Port, creating additional pressure around the Panvel main junction where traffic from Atal Setu meets vehicles using major highways.
According to the MMRDA, the elevated structure is being built above existing roads and bridge infrastructure to use the available transport corridor without requiring an entirely separate surface alignment. Construction is progressing in both the Chirle and Palaspe sections. The authority said most foundation and pier work in the Chirle section has been completed, while major structural components in the Palaspe section are continuing to advance.
The connector is also expected to improve road access towards the Navi Mumbai International Airport and strengthen links with surrounding commercial and logistics areas. The MMRDA said the project would support better traffic distribution towards National Highway 48, which connects Mumbai, Pune and Bengaluru, and National Highway 348 leading towards JNPA.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the state’s future economic growth would depend on how efficiently its cities, industries, ports and emerging development centres are connected. He described the connector as an extension of the connectivity gains created by Atal Setu and said it would provide a faster link between two of Maharashtra’s major economic centres.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and MMRDA chairperson Eknath Shinde said the project was intended to ensure that large infrastructure investments delivered practical benefits to daily travellers. He said the corridor would extend Atal Setu’s connectivity towards Pune, Goa and other important destinations while reducing congestion around Panvel.
MMRDA Metropolitan Commissioner Sanjay Mukherjee said reaching 67% physical progress marked a significant implementation milestone for the strategically important project. He said the connector would complete an important missing link between Atal Setu and the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, enabling more effective traffic distribution and reducing pressure on existing junctions.
The project forms part of the MMRDA’s broader “Mumbai in 59 Minutes” vision, which seeks to integrate metro corridors, expressways, tunnels, ring roads and other missing links into a regional transport network. The source report did not specify the connector’s expected opening date or provide a revised completion schedule.
