The Mumbai-Pune Expressway will undergo a significant renovation, with the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) suggesting that it be expanded into a 10-lane highway. The action is a long-term response to the growing traffic on one of the busiest and priciest highways in India. This is an improvement over our previous suggestion to turn it into an eight-lane facility. MSRDC Vice-Chairman and Managing Director Anilkumar Gaikwad stated that the most recent proposal will cost approximately Rs 1,420 crore. The Detailed Project Report (DPR) is being prepared and will be sent to the state government for clearance, Gaikwad told to The Times of India.
The 94.6-kilometer Mumbai-Pune Expressway, India's first and oldest access-controlled expressway, was opened in 2002. The highway, which was constructed by the MSRDC at an initial cost of roughly Rs 1.63 lakh crore, links Mumbai with Pune, a significant industrial and educational centre in Maharashtra. On weekdays, the highway currently sees about 65,000 vehicles, and on weekends, over one lakh. Given that the volume of traffic is increasing by almost 5% to 6% annually, MSRDC thinks that the corridor must be expanded to meet demand.
Currently, it takes roughly two hours to drive between the two cities in normal circumstances, although traffic on weekends frequently makes the trip take an additional hour. It is anticipated that the proposed extension will greatly cut down on this wait, providing more comfortable travel even during busy times.
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The overall expansion project is expected to cost Rs 14,260 crore, of which Rs 8,440 crore will be spent on construction alone. It's interesting to note that MSRDC intends to use toll receipts rather than government funding to finance the project. In addition to stating that the financing model: Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) or annuity, would be determined later. Gaikwad stated, "We will bank on toll collection."
If the expansion is granted, MSRDC may apply for an extension of the current toll agreement, which expires in 2045. If the 10-lane improvement is put into place, it might make the expressway faster and more effective, relieving pressure on one of India's most important traffic connections.