MUMBAI, May 9 -- In a major infrastructure push, the Maharashtra government has approved a 134-km four-lane highway connecting Neral in Karjat to Shirur in Pune district. The proposed corridor is expected to serve as an alternative to the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and help reduce mounting traffic congestion on the heavily used route, officials said. Announcing the decision on Friday, deputy chief minister Sunetra Pawar said the new highway would provide faster, stronger and more modern connectivity not only between Mumbai and Pune, but also to Marathwada and Ahilyanagar regions. "The proposed Neral-Shirur highway has been approved by the state government," Pawar said. "It will begin at Neral in Raigad district and connect to Shirur on the Pune-Ahilyanagar highway. It will go through Vandre, Pait and Shiroli before reaching Shirur," she added. The project assumes significance at a time when the Mumbai-Pune Expressway has been witnessing severe traffic snarls, particularly during weekends and holidays, due to increasing vehicular volume and peak-season travel. Officials said the new highway would provide a parallel route for motorists travelling towards parts of Pune district, thereby reducing pressure on the expressway. Just last week, the inauguration of the 'Missing Link' between Khopoli and Lonavala was overshadowed by massive traffic congestion, leaving motorists stranded for hours in the sweltering summer heat as the expressway turned into a bottleneck of idling vehicles. Earlier in February, a tanker carrying highly inflammable propylene gas overturned near the Adoshi tunnel in the Khandala ghat section, triggering a 33-hour traffic disruption. The gridlock, among the longest in the history of the 94.5-km Mumbai-Pune Expressway, stretched into a second day and left thousands of commuters stranded without access to toilets, drinking water or food. "It is expected to provide a convenient route for vehicles coming from various parts of the state. The project will significantly boost the economic, industrial and transportation development of Raigad, Pune, Marathwada and the Ahilyanagar region," said a senior public works department official. Sunetra Pawar, who is also the NCP president, said the late deputy chief minister and her husband had made significant efforts to push the project forward. "Ajitdada had made special efforts and consistently pursued this project. Turning this project into reality and carrying forward his vision for the state's overall development would be the true tribute to him," she said....