Kolhapur: Minister of Jalan Union Nitin Gadkari on Friday said the work of six lanings from Satara to Stretch Kagal on the National Highway-48 will begin soon.
Gadkari spoke almost from Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh during a function held to start a breakthrough from the second tunnel from Tarnels Twin in the Khatatchi Ghat section connecting Pune and Satara.
The new twin tunnel each has three lanes and will help reduce time, accidents and distance.
Each new twin tunnel has three lanes and will help reduce the trip of time also mentioned about the work proposed by Satara to the stretch of KAGAL national highway which is very important for the South Maharashtra region.
Project costs around Rs 4,000 Crore and the tender process have been postponed twice.
“Tender for the Build-Operate-Transfer Project (BOT) from Satara to Kagal, the work of six Lanings has been issued.
I hope that work will begin at 30-45 days,” Gadkari said.
The one-way tunnel of Khatatchi Ghat was finished in 1995 when Gadkari was a minister of roads in the Maharashtra government.
Even though one-way tunnel discusses the problem of traffic congestion to a certain extent, it does not overcome other problems such as saving time and reducing accidents.
“Local representatives complain about various problems on the stretch of Pune-Satara.
Twin tunnel will help reduce traffic congestion.
About 96% of the work has been completed and immediately walks will be built and the tunnel will be opened for traffic in the next three months,” said Gadkari, added that the old one-way tunnel would no longer be used.
Gadkari said he was trapped in Ghat for seven hours when he was still a minister in the state government.
It encourages Gadkari to take work to build tunnels.