Before the expressway was built, national highway 4 was the preferred road between the two cities. But, as the traffic density became high on this stretch, the road became congested and the travelling time also increased.
The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) developed the new Expressway between the cities. The 93 kilometer long concrete expressway starts at Panvel and ends at Dehu Road near Pune. It has a dual carriageway with three lanes each. No two or three wheelers are permitted on the expressway and nor are agricultural tractors as the speed limit is 80 to 120 kmph. This was first high speed expressway in the country and because of its features reduced the travelling time between Pune and Mumbai to two hours. As the scenic hill towns of Khandala and Lonavla fall on the route, the travelling time to these very popular weekend getaways from Mumbai and Pune has also been reduced.
The expressway has frequently been cited as one of the best in the country for high speed driving as it has long straight stretches, and insulation from stray cattle with a barbed metal wire barrier on either side of it. It also goes through a scenic route on the Sahyadris on the Western Ghats, cutting through five illuminated tunnels. The tunnels are at Bhatan, Madap, Adoshi (only while coming from Pune), Khandala and Kamshet. The interchanges are at Shedung, Khalapur, Talegaon , and Kusgaon. The toll plazas are at Khalapur while going to Pune and at Talegaon while going to Mumbai.
Last Updated on : 06 April 2013
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