Khambatki Ghat twin tunnel in Maharashtra nears completion

• The Khambatki Ghat stretch on the Pune-Satara highway is set for a major transformation, with the new six-lane twin-tube tunnel project nearing completion. 

• Developed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on NH-48, the Khambatki Ghat tunnel aims to replace a historically congested and accident-prone route with modern, high-capacity infrastructure. 

• As part of trial operations and safety assessments, one side of the twin tunnel has been opened to the public for testing purposes, allowing commuters to experience the improved infrastructure firsthand.

• The existing Khambatki Ghat stretch is a critical link on the Mumbai-Pune-Bengaluru corridor, connecting major cities like Pune, Satara, Kolhapur and Belgaum, while also serving thousands of tourists heading to Panchgani, Mahabaleshwar, Kaas Plateau, and devotees visiting Sajjangad.

• Narrow lanes, sharp ‘S’ curves, long traffic jams and frequent accidents made the journey stressful, especially during weekends and holiday traffic. 

• What was once a bottleneck has now become one of the fastest and smoothest stretches on the highway.

• With the construction of the new six-lane twin tunnel (three lanes in each tube), travel between Pune and Satara will be much smoother with reduced travel time.

• With physical progress of the project reaching 86 per cent, the tunnel is on track for inauguration in the first half of 2026.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)