Last year, MSRDC had come up with a plan to provide 14 lanes between Mumbai and Pune, in which it planned to widen the entire Expressway and the old highway, except the 12-km stretch between the toll plaza and Sinhgad Institute, by adding two lanes on each side.
However, it now appears that the Maharashtra government’s plan may not finally see the light of day.
News reports have said that the planned elevated road, which is part of the link between Khalapur toll plaza and Sinhgad Institute, cannot be constructed on the Expressway, as the latter is on high gradient.
The segment is a crucial part of the plan, as it is supposed to reduce the rush on the most congested stretch of the Expressway, from the toll plaza to the Khandala exit.
MSRDC officials are now looking for alternatives, failing to find which could raise questions on the project’s future.