Eight-Lane Construction on The Mumbai-Pune Expressway Commences Near The Two Toll Plazas

In an effort to transform the six-lane, 94-kilometer speed corridor into an eight-lane segment, MSRDC has initiated the enlargement of the Mumbai-Pune Motorway at two toll plazas.

In August, 2023 the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) presented the state government with its strategy to mitigate the escalating volume of traffic. The motorway currently consists of six lanes.Eight-laning work has begun in part, according to MSRDC chief engineer Rajesh Patil, who told TOI that a 6-kilometer stretch from Khalapur to Khopoli and a 1.5-kilometer segment near the Talegaon toll plaza have been widened.

"The augmentation of the toll plazas has commenced with the addition of kiosks at both locations. Presently speaking, Khalapur has sixteen booths. To 34, the quantity will be increased. There will be 28 booths at Talegaon, up from 16. He stated that the supplementary stations will become operational on April 1 of the following year.

A comprehensive expansion plan for the entire span, amounting to Rs 5,000 crore, had been officially presented to the state government. Its clearance is anticipated to occur in two phases. The estimated budget includes expenditures for both land acquisition and construction. The estimated cost of land acquisition, which is primarily for the construction of eight new passages, is 800 crore rupees. Two of the proposed tunnels, namely Bhatan and Kamshet, would be situated on each side of Madap (1) and (2).

Specific road widening has been executed as an integral component of the initial phase of construction. By 2026, the structures are anticipated to be fully developed. The excavation of the tunnels will comprise the second segment.It has been proposed to widen the 94-kilometer motorway for the past two decades and twenty-one days, since its completion in 2002. "At that time, vehicular movement was reduced."

At present, the annual development rate of transportation stands at 5%. The motorway must be widened to improve travel convenience and connectivity, according to another MSRDC representative.

Numerous travellers between Mumbai and Pune believe that the government should expedite the process of widening the entire motorway to eight lanes. It is believed that the implementation of two additional lanes will result in an improvement of traffic conditions. Having additional toll stations and streamlined toll ticket distribution will significantly improve the driving experience on the motorway.