Safety upgrade for 15 black spots on NH-48, accidents dip
Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) officials said that identification and correction of these black spots was expected to drastically reduce accidents along the corridor.
Once known for frequent and often fatal crashes, the highway is now being repositioned as a model of evidence-led, multi-agency road safety transformation.
"We are not just building roads, we are building safer journeys," said Anilkumar Gaikwad, vice-chairman and managing director, MSRDC.
The joint effort was led by Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), SaveLIFE Foundation, Maharashtra Highway Police, and Highways Infrastructure Trust, officials told TOI on Tuesday.
"This initiative demonstrates the power of collaboration, data, and engineering in saving lives on our highways," Gaikwad said.
Through data-driven interventions and collaborative implementation of engineering solutions, we are committed to reducing fatalities and making our roads safer for every user," he told TOI.
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This initiative reflects our ongoing dedication to building not just better roads but safer ones, he added.
The project focused on engineering upgrades at 15 crash-prone locations — from Ladkat Petrol Pump near Somatane Toll Plaza to stretches near Mahanagar Gas — addressing key safety risks such as poor visibility, unsafe intersections, high-speed merging, and pedestrian vulnerability. Key intervention points included Wadgaon Phata, Kamshet Ghat section, Shilatane Phata, and Khalapur junction, among others.
These sites were treated with a mix of median gap closures, improved signage, speed-calming measures, and pedestrian safety enhancements, such as designated crossing zones and barricading.
In addition to civil works, the project deployed speed detection cameras and automatic violation monitoring system to crack down on reckless driving. Maharashtra Highway Police officials reported noticeable improvements in driver behaviour following installation of enforcement technologies and upgraded signage.
"The presence of automated systems has not only deterred overspeeding, but enabled real-time tracking of violations," said an official, adding that enforcement became significantly more efficient.
Crucially, the project also prioritised institutionalisation of these interventions through capacity-building and establishment of strong operational partnerships between different govt agencies. This approach not only enabled immediate improvements but also laid the groundwork for sustaining and scaling the ZFC model across other high-fatality corridors in India, stated SaveLIFE Foundation.
In the old Mumbai Pune highway section of NH48, there was 67% reduction in fatalities from 269 in 2018 to 88 in 2024. The fatality numbers for 2025 are currently being verified. On the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, there was a reduction in fatalities in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. There were 24 fatalities in 2024 as against 6 in 2025.
"Buoyed by these results, MSRDC plans to extend ZFC initiative to other high-fatality corridors across Maharashtra," said officials.
"We are establishing a scalable, data-driven blueprint for road safety that can be replicated across India."
The Zero Fatality Corridor (ZFC) initiative on the Old Mumbai Pune Highway (NH48), implemented by Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) and Highway Police Maharashtra and SaveLIFE Foundation in partnership with Highways Infrastructure Trust, has demonstrated remarkable success in enhancing road safety outcomes. Initial comparative analysis of crash data revealed a 51% reduction in road crash fatalities between January and March 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, highlighting the efficacy of SaveLIFE Foundation's evidence-driven interventions.
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