Pune-Mumbai travel time is expected to fall after two new three-lane bridges at Warje and Wakad were opened to traffic on the Mumbai-Bengaluru Highway, easing congestion on one of Pune’s busiest intercity and urban corridors.
The bridges, built by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), cross the Mutha river at Warje and the Mula river at Wakad. Their opening has increased traffic capacity through two locations that regularly experienced long queues during the morning and evening peak periods.
The Mumbai-Bengaluru Highway stretch between Navale Bridge and Ravet has faced growing congestion as Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad expanded around it. The highway, originally designed to carry long-distance traffic, now also handles a large volume of local trips between residential areas, employment centres and commercial districts. This overlap has contributed to recurring bottlenecks along the corridor.
According to the report, vehicle queues in the Katraj New Tunnel and Navale Bridge areas had extended for 8 to 10 kilometres during severe congestion. Warje and Wakad were among the locations where traffic slowed significantly, creating delays for commuters as well as vehicles travelling between Mumbai and Pune.
The new Warje bridge is approximately 500 metres long, while the Wakad bridge measures about 175 metres. Both structures have three lanes and are intended to improve the movement of vehicles across the two rivers without the earlier restrictions at these points.
The opening is expected to benefit traffic movement around Warje, Baner, Balewadi, Wakad and Bhumkar Chowk. The report said the Mumbai-Pune journey could become 30 to 40 minutes shorter, while information provided by NHAI project director Sachin Gautam indicated that commuters could save approximately 15 to 20 minutes because of the two bridges. The difference reflects separate estimates cited in the report, but both indicate a reduction in delay on the corridor.
The infrastructure intervention also highlights the pressure created when an express intercity route becomes embedded in a rapidly urbanising metropolitan area. As development expanded along Pune’s western and north-western edges, local traffic increased on a road network that continues to serve through traffic. The resulting congestion has affected daily travel well beyond the immediate bridge locations.
NHAI has said the bridges are now open for traffic and that they will help reduce congestion along the affected stretch. The immediate operational milestone is the continued use of both structures as traffic patterns adjust across the Warje-Wakad corridor.
