Pune-Bengaluru NH-48 Highway Set to Get 3 New Underpasses
NHAI has received the green light to construct three new box-structure underpasses at Punawale and Tathawade in the western part of Pune. The budget for this project is estimated at ₹70 to ₹80 crore, and it has been approved by the Union Road Transport and Highways Minister, Nitin Gadkari. The primary goal of this initiative is to ease traffic for commuters on one of the busiest highways in the Pimpri-Chinchwad region.
The areas of Punawale and Tathawade have experienced rapid growth in recent years due to their proximity to IT hubs and industries. Western Pune saw around 43 percent of all new homes for sale and about 40 percent of all homes sold in the city during the first half of 2025. The influx of residents has led to heavily congested roads, making travel difficult.
The new underpasses will alleviate traffic at existing crossings along the highway, benefiting daily commuters traveling between Punawale, Tathawade, Wakad, Ravet, and Kiwale. These underpasses will also provide easier access to the Hinjewadi IT Corridor, which is a significant improvement for IT professionals who frequently commute to this area.
The traffic issue has become more acute with the rapid rise in residential growth in areas such as Punawale, Tathawade, Wakad, Kiwale, and Ravet. A large number of IT professionals and daily commuters living on either side of the highway regularly face roadblocks at the existing underpasses, which have limited carrying capacity.
Punawale, Tathawade, Wakad, Kiwale, Ravet, the Hinjewadi IT Corridor, and the broader western growth corridor of Pimpri-Chinchwad are the areas that will benefit the most from these new underpasses. These regions have experienced rapid housing and business development, leading to increased traffic on NH-48. The underpasses can potentially improve connectivity across the highway, reduce slow travel due to traffic at existing crossing points, and make travel easier for people commuting to areas like Hinjewadi, Pimpri-Chinchwad, and central Pune. Property prices in these areas have also seen a significant rise over the last five years, with increases of around 39% in Punawale, 39.7% in Tathawade, 42.7% in Wakad, 27% in Kiwale, 22.9% in Ravet, and 62.4% in Hinjawadi.
While the underpasses are being built in Pune, the project is part of the broader Pune-Bengaluru NH-48 corridor, a major route for India’s economy and logistics. Better traffic flow and fewer bottlenecks in Pune’s suburbs will facilitate the movement of people and goods between Pune and Bengaluru. For Bengaluru, this project is particularly significant for areas like Nelamangala and Peenya, which are major industrial and logistics hubs. It will also benefit employment areas such as Yeshwanthpur, Rajajinagar, Electronic City, and the Hosur Road corridor, all connected through NH-48 and the NICE Road network. As more traffic moves between Pune and Bengaluru, upgrading the infrastructure along NH-48 will enhance long-distance travel and goods transport, supporting Bengaluru’s manufacturing, logistics, and technology sectors by improving supply-chain movement. The NH-48 corridor and underpasses will help Bengaluru’s economy grow by making it easier to transport goods and people.
The approval of the three underpasses is part of a larger infrastructure push to enhance the Pune-Bengaluru NH-48 corridor. Authorities are working on multiple projects, including the development of service roads, reducing traffic congestion, improving drainage, and adding more crossings. The aim is to support the growth of residential and commercial areas in western Pune, ensuring that infrastructure upgrades like these underpasses will improve connectivity and support future development.
