Mumbai–Pune Expressway: Difference between revisions
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==Construction== |
==Construction== |
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[[Image:Mumbai_Pune_expressway_goodday.jpg|thumb|Another view of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway]] |
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The project was completed under the stewardship of the [[Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation]] (MSRDC).<br />The expressway cost [[Indian_Rupee|Rs.]] 1630,00,00,000 (approx. US$ 362 million) to construct.<br />The first sections opened in 2000, and the entire route was completed, opened to traffic and made fully operational from April 2002. |
The project was completed under the stewardship of the [[Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation]] (MSRDC).<br />The expressway cost [[Indian_Rupee|Rs.]] 1630,00,00,000 (approx. US$ 362 million) to construct.<br />The first sections opened in 2000, and the entire route was completed, opened to traffic and made fully operational from April 2002. |
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Revision as of 13:13, 20 November 2006
The Mumbai-Pune Expressway is India's first six-lane concrete, high-speed tolled expressway.
It spans a distance of 93 km (58 miles) connecting the financial capital of India, Mumbai and the cultural capital of Maharashtra, Pune.
It has introduced for India new paradigms of speed and safety in automobile transportation.
The expressway has reduced the travel time between the cities of Mumbai and Pune to approximately two hours. For most practical purposes, it has replaced the older Mumbai-Pune National Highway (NH4), which had become extremely congested and accident-prone over time.
The expressway starts at Kalamboli (near Panvel) and ends at Dehu Rd. (near Pune).
It cleaves through the scenic Sahyadri mountain ranges via passes(Marathi:घाट) and tunnels.
It has five interchanges Kon(Shedung), Chowk, Khalapur, Kusgaon and Talegaon.
The expressway has two carriageways with three concrete lanes each separated by a central divider and a tarmac or concrete shoulder on either side.
Vehicles with less than four-wheels and agricultural tractors are not permitted, although tractor-trailers (semi-trailer rigs are permitted).
The maximum speed limit in most places is 80 km/h (50 mph). Modern fuel-injected cars and high-speed coaches however drive unmolested at speeds from 100 (62 mph) to 160 km/h (100 mph), traffic density permitting.
The expressway handles about 30,000 PCUs and is designed to handle up to 100,000 PCUs.
History
In 1990, the Government of Maharashtra appointed RITES and Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick of United Kingdom to carry out feasibility studies for the new expressway to be operated on toll basis. RITES submitted their report in 1994 with the estimated cost of project at Rs. 1146 crores (11.46 billion rupees). The Government of Maharashtra entrusted the work of the construction of Mumbai-Pune expressway to MSRDC in March 1997 on Build-Operate and Transfer basis with permission to collect toll for 30 years. The environmental clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of India was received on October 13, 1997. The Forest Clearance was received on November 11, 1997.
The tender notice was published in leading newspapers all over India and also on the Internet. Due to wide publicity, 133 tenders were sold and on December 18, 1997, 55 tenders were received. After technical and financial evaluation, tenders were accepted and work orders were given on January 1, 1998 to four contractors. Thereafter tenders for widening of Khandala ghat and Lonavala-Khandala bypass works were invited. The tenders were received on August 24, 1998 and orders were issued on September 4, 1998.
Construction
The project was completed under the stewardship of the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC).
The expressway cost Rs. 1630,00,00,000 (approx. US$ 362 million) to construct.
The first sections opened in 2000, and the entire route was completed, opened to traffic and made fully operational from April 2002.
Tunnels
It has five illuminated, ventilated tunnels totalling 5,724 metres. These tunnels were built by the Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd.
These are:
| Tunnel | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bhatan | This tunnel opened in April 2000. The Mumbai-Pune (North) tube is 1,053 m and the Pune-Mumbai (South) tube is 1,088 m long. |
| 2 | Madap | This tunnel also opened in April 2000. The Mumbai-Pune (North) tube is 305.3 m and the Pune-Mumbai (South) tube is 359.3 m long. |
| 3 | Adoshi | This only has a Pune-Mumbai tube. The Mumbai-Pune carriageway skirts the eastern edge of the tunnel while the Pune-Mumbai carriageway traverses the 258 m long tunnel. |
| 4 | Khandala | This is a curved pair of tubes. The Mumbai-Pune (North) tube is 293.5 m and the Pune-Mumbai (South) tube is 400 m long. |
| 5 | Kamshet-1 | Probably the longest tunnel in Maharashtra state. It has 2 tubes roughly 900 m each. |
| 6 | Kamshet-2 | 359 m |
The entire length of expressway has a single layer of barbed wire fencing to keep out loose cattle.
Distances
| Description | Distance | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Start of Expressway (Mumbai end)(19°01′11.47″N 73°06′13.21″E / 19.0198528°N 73.1036694°E) to Kon-Shedung interchange | 8.5 km |
| 2 | Kon-Shedung interchange to Bhatan tunnel | 6.2 km |
| 3 | Bhatan tunnel to Madap tunnel | 10.6 km |
| 4 | Madap tunnel to Khalapur toll station | 7.3 km |
| 5 | Khalapur toll station to Khalapur-Sajgaon gas station & rest area | 1.6 km. |
| 6 | Khalapur-Sajgaon rest area to Adoshi tunnel. The Mumbai-Pune carriageway skirts the eastern edge of the tunnel while the Pune-Mumbai carriageway traverses the 256 m long tunnel. |
6.9 km |
| 7 | Adoshi tunnel to the old British-built Deckan-Concan stone trestle. This is the site of the old (1830-1928) GIPR reversing station. |
4.5 km |
| 8 | Stone trestle to Khandala tunnel | 0.8 km |
| 9 | Khandala tunnel to Khandala | 2.7 km |
| 10 | Khandala to Tungarli | 3.5 km |
| 11 | Tungarli to Kamshet-1 tunnel | 17.1 km |
| 12 | Kamshet-1 tunnel to Kamshet-2 tunnel | 1.2 km |
| 13 | Kamshet-2 tunnel to Talegaon toll station | 11.1 km |
| 14 | Talegaon toll station to Somatne interchange | 3.4 km |
| 16 | Somatne interchange to End of Expressway (Pune end)(18°39′45.85″N 73°43′35.61″E / 18.6627361°N 73.7265583°E) | 7.6 km |
| Total length of Expressway: Start to End | 93.1 km |
Tolls
Toll is collected
at Khalapur (for the Mumbai-Pune direction) and
at Talegaon (for the Pune-Mumbai direction).
The toll ranges from Rs. 118 for private cars, to Rs. 680 for multi-axle trailer trucks.
Gallery
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A scenic view of the expressway near the Khandala exit -
Near Kamshet 2 tunnel -
