CM Fadnavis Clears Metro Line 13, Pune Ring Road Worth ₹28,000 Cr
Synopsis
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis chaired a Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure meeting on August 18, 2026, approving Metro Line 13 (₹17,724 cr, Mira Bhayandar–Vasai-Virar) and the Pune Ring Road's eastern section (₹10,502 cr), together targeting millions of daily commuters across Mumbai and Pune.
Key Takeaways
Metro Line 13 approved at ₹17,724.99 crore , connecting Mira Bhayandar to Vasai-Virar over 25.03 km (21.78 km elevated, 3.25 km underground).
The metro is projected to serve 4.49 lakh passengers daily by 2031 and cut travel time by 50% versus road.
Metro Line 13 will be implemented by MMRDA and pass through Thane and Palghar districts .
The Soratapwadi–Varve-Shivare Pune Ring Road section (31.805 km access-controlled expressway) approved at a revised cost of ₹10,502.36 crore , to be built by MSRDC .
The Pune expressway links the Pune–Solapur Road to the Pune–Satara Road , forming the Eastern Extension of the ring road.
Both projects cleared at a single Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure sitting chaired by CM Fadnavis on August 18, 2026 .
Two of Maharashtra's most congested urban corridors just got a lifeline. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure in Mumbai and cleared two landmark infrastructure projects — a new metro line linking Mira Bhayandar to Vasai-Virar and a critical expressway section of the Pune Ring Road — together valued at over ₹28,200 crore.
Metro Line 13: Bridging the MMR's Northern Fringe
The Cabinet approved Metro Line 13, a 25.03-km corridor running from Mira Bhayandar to Vasai-Virar, at an estimated cost of ₹17,724.99 crore. The line will cut through Thane and Palghar districts — two of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region's fastest-growing but most underserved zones — and will be built and operated by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).
The alignment is a hybrid: 21.78 km elevated and 3.25 km underground, threading through dense urban fabric where surface expansion is no longer viable. By 2031, the corridor is projected to carry 4.49 lakh passengers daily and cut travel time by 50 per cent compared to road travel — a figure that translates to hundreds of thousands of commuters reclaiming hours each week.
Pune Ring Road: The Soratapwadi–Varve-Shivare Section Gets the Go-Ahead
The second clearance targets Pune, a city where explosive IT-sector growth has outpaced road infrastructure for over a decade. The Cabinet approved the Soratapwadi (Valati) to Varve Budruk (Shivare) section of the Pune Ring Road — an access-controlled expressway spanning 31.805 km — at a revised cost of ₹10,502.36 crore. The stretch connects the Pune–Solapur Road in the east to the Pune–Satara Road in the south, forming the Eastern Extension of the proposed ring road network.
Implementation responsibility rests with the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC). By routing long-distance and freight traffic away from Pune's congested inner arteries, the expressway is designed to deliver measurable relief to daily commuters across the city's southeastern quadrant.
Who Was in the Room
The meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Minister Shivendrasinh Raje Bhonsle, Minister Uday Samant, and senior state officials — a cross-party gathering that signals broad coalition alignment behind the infrastructure push.
Maharashtra has now committed to reshaping the daily commute for millions across its two largest urban agglomerations. The clock on delivery starts today.
Point of View
Deliverable urban infrastructure rather than softer welfare optics. Metro Line 13 addresses the MMR's northern periphery, where rapid in-migration has created commuter pressure without a mass-transit safety valve, making it both a governance necessity and an electoral asset in Thane-Palghar constituencies. The Pune Ring Road's eastern section, meanwhile, speaks directly to the city's IT-sector workforce and logistics industry, constituencies that have long demanded relief from inner-city gridlock. Together, the approvals position the Mahayuti government as infrastructure-first ahead of any future electoral cycle — but the real test will be execution timelines in a state with a mixed record on metro project delivery.
NationPress
18 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Metro Line 13 in Mumbai and where will it run?
Metro Line 13 is a newly approved 25.03-km metro corridor connecting Mira Bhayandar to Vasai-Virar in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. It will pass through Thane and Palghar districts , featuring 21.78 km of elevated track and 3.25 km underground, and will be built by MMRDA at a cost of ₹17,724.99 crore .
How many passengers will Metro Line 13 carry daily?
By 2031 , Metro Line 13 is projected to serve approximately 4.49 lakh passengers per day and reduce travel time by 50 per cent compared to road travel.
What is the Pune Ring Road project approved in August 2026?
The approved section is the Soratapwadi to Varve-Shivare stretch — a 31.805-km access-controlled expressway forming the Eastern Extension of the Pune Ring Road, connecting the Pune–Solapur Road to the Pune–Satara Road at a revised cost of ₹10,502.36 crore . It will be built by MSRDC.
Who will implement Metro Line 13 and the Pune Ring Road?
Metro Line 13 will be implemented by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) , while the Pune Ring Road eastern section will be executed by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) .
Who attended the Maharashtra Cabinet infrastructure meeting on August 18 2026?
The meeting was chaired by CM Devendra Fadnavis and attended by Deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar , and ministers Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Shivendrasinh Raje Bhonsle, and Uday Samant , along with senior state officials.
