Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has approved three new box-structure underpasses on the NH-48 corridor following a detailed project review meeting in Pune. The approval targets chronic congestion affecting the Pimpri-Chinchwad suburbs and aims to reduce traffic jams in rapidly growing residential and commercial centres. The initiative forms part of a broader plan to overhaul local transit and improve suburban mobility. The works are focused on long-standing bottlenecks on the Pune Western Bypass stretch, a key artery carrying dense local traffic and heavy interstate commercial vehicles on the Mumbai Bengaluru corridor. Local residents and daily commuters had lobbied for more crossing points, citing severe delays during peak hours and weekends. The intervention includes construction of the three underpasses alongside measures to expedite service roads and widen existing structures to increase capacity. Chinchwad MLA Shankar Jagtap said he had urged immediate reinforcement at choke points including Sayaji, Tathawade, Punawale and Mamurdi underpasses as well as Bhumkar Chowk, Kiwale junction and the Pawana river crossing. He indicated that the Central government had responded positively and directed officials to treat the works as a high priority. Plans also call for widening of the underpasses at Tathawade and Punawale and acceleration of pending service road construction. State and federal teams will coordinate on clear timelines for each segment soon. The rapid urban expansion on both flanks of the highway has outpaced infrastructure provision, creating frequent bottlenecks that impede daily commutes for thousands of IT professionals and other workers. Authorities had previously considered a blueprint for eight box-structure underpasses, and the latest federal approval represents a significant step forward. Officials expect the works to reduce travel times considerably and to improve connectivity across the Pune metropolitan region. Implementation timelines and technical details will be finalised by agencies tasked with delivery.