Mumbai-Pune expressway widening to start this year

MSRDC’s joint MD Anil Gaikwad said it had a right to collect toll till 2035 for constructing the missing link section. “The widening of the expressway will cost us between ₹800 crore and ₹900 crore. So, we may have to extend the toll collection by one or two years beyond 2035,” he said

Work on the expansion of the Mumbai-Pune expressway will commence this year, MSRDC managing director Radheshyam Mopalwar on Tuesday said and added that the initial estimates have put the cost around ₹900 crore.

Pune, India – June 21, 2020: A view of the Mumbai-Pune expressway after the Amrutanjan bridge was pulled down, in Pune, Maharashtra, India, on Sunday, June 21, 2020. (HT PHOTO)

“The detailed project report (DPR) is almost ready. It will soon be sent to the government for approval, which could take two to four months. Once the work begins, it will take two years to complete, and thereafter the traffic movement will be smoother. We have ample land on the sides for the stretch,” Mopalwar told HT.

The expressway, which is the brainchild of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray, was constructed in 1999 at ₹1,600 crore. The work was completed in 2002. Given the subsequent increase in traffic, which leads to jams on weekends and holidays, the government, after carrying out some studies, decided to add one more lane to each carriageway.

MSRDC (Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation) continues to collect toll despite the toll rights ending in 2019. In response to petitions in this regard, the government body told the court that it was charging for the construction of the missing link between Khopoli and Sinhagad Institute, where a tunnel and bridge are being constructed to bypass the ghats. This section will take at least another two years to be operational though the tunnel will be completed by the year-end.

MSRDC’s joint MD Anil Gaikwad said it had a right to collect toll till 2035 for constructing the missing link section. “The widening of the expressway will cost us between ₹800 crore and ₹900 crore. So, we may have to extend the toll collection by one or two years beyond 2035,” he said.

When questioned about space for the bridges, he said, “All the bridges that cross the expressway allow space for one extra lane on each side, so there is no need to shift or alter any bridge.”

As for the tunnels, another officer said, they are a little narrow with space for only three-and-a-half lanes. “But vehicles will be cautioned about this,” he said.