The new bypass features an improved alignment and removes the numerous sharp curves that have made the ghat stretch so dangerous. The stretch has also suffered from several landslides that have blocked the route at various times and which occur most frequently during the monsoon period. The safety of this stretch is of concern, particularly when the weather conditions are poor. There were 191 serious crashes on the Khandala Ghat stretch in 2024 according to official data.
Pune and Mumbai are around 147km apart and driving between the two cities will take around three hours at present, presuming that there are no delays due to extra vehicle numbers, crashes or landslides on the route. The tolled expressway linking the cities features three lanes of traffic either direction and the increasing numbers of vehicles on India’s roads have resulted in the route suffering heavy congestion.
