Pay ₹1,212 toll for one-way trip on Mumbai-Nagpur e-way

The distance between Mumbai and Nagpur is 701 km. Interestingly, the toll will be charged on the basis of the km one wants to travel

Mumbai: The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) that is constructing India’s longest access-controlled expressway between Mumbai and Nagpur has proposed a toll of ₹1,212 as one-way for light motor vehicles like cars and jeep. The distance between Mumbai and Nagpur is 701 km. Interestingly, the toll will be charged on the basis of the km one wants to travel. For instance, if someone is travelling between Mumbai and Nashik or Aurangabad, vehicles will be charged ₹1.73 per km.

The distance between Mumbai and Nagpur is 701 km. Interestingly, the toll will be charged on the basis of the km one wants to travel (Stock Pic)

The MSRDC is planning to open Nagpur-Aurangabad stretch of the expressway by March or April this year and the entire stretch by end of the year.

Chandrakant Pulkundwar, joint managing director shared, “We have proposed the toll rates after consultation and approval from the state government, however, the proposed toll rates will be officially notified by a gazette few days before opening of the expressway. The toll rates that we have proposed will be for 701 km, and the proposed rates are on the basis of per km.”

Further, according to the toll rates list, the second category is light commercial vehicle, light goods vehicle or mini bus for which the one-way toll between Mumbai and Nagpur will be ₹2.79 per km, which tallies down to ₹1,955. The third category is bus or truck (two axle) for which ₹5.85 per km will be charged, summing up to ₹4,100.

The remaining three categories are heavy vehicles that includes three axle commercial vehicles for which ₹6.38 per km or ₹4,472, followed by ₹9.18 per km or ₹6,435 will be charged for mobilising of heavy construction machinery. The last category is of oversized vehicles or multi axles (seven or more axles), the toll per km is ₹11.17 which essentially means ₹7,830 between Mumbai and Nagpur.

The entire stretch between Mumbai and Nagpur will have 26 toll booths and the MSRDC has recently floated bids for appointing agency for toll collection agency on the expressway.

As per the average daily traffic study, the daily vehicle usage has been divided into more than 20 sections and the highest volume of traffic is anticipated is between Mumbai and Nashik.

As per the study, daily around 150,000 vehicles are expected to ply between Mumbai and Nashik using the Mumbai Nagpur Expressway by the end of 2025. The MSRDC has further also listed 23 categories of vehicles who are listed as VIP vehicles and they will be eligible for being exempted from paying toll using the Mumbai Nagpur Expressway also known as Hindu Hridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackerat Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg.

According to MSRDC, it is aiming to make the entire expressway between Mumbai and Nagpur operational by December 2022. However, it is also aiming to make the Nagpur to Aurangabad stretch operational by March or April and further by December the expressway will be made operational in phases. However, due to COVID lockdown there are chances there being a three months delay in making the entire expressway operational.

Officials said at least 70% of the civil construction work is completed on the Expressway, and in the first phase it will be made operational in phases possibly from the Nagpur end. On the Mumbai end, the Expressway will start from Shahpur district. According to MSRDC officials, the civil work will shortly be completed for Expressway but the supporting infrastructure like petrol pumps, food plaza, toilets etc are all being set up simultaneously.

Meanwhile, around 30% of daily passenger traffic travelling via flight and train may shift their travel mode to the road, once the 701-km-long Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway is ready for public use by 2022, revealed a report prepared by the MSRDC in 2018.

The report added that currently, more than 26,000 passengers travel between Mumbai and Nagpur daily via flight and train of which nearly 8,000 passengers may shift to the road. 87 more buses and 1,166 more cars are expected to run on the road due to the construction of the expressway, revealed the detailed project report (DPR) prepared for the project.