The MSRDC has carried out the corridor planning and Techno-Economic Feasibility report for the land development along the Mumbai - Pune Expressway. The following sites are identified for development of the Road Side Facility in a Profitable and Environmentally sensitive manner for commercialization. The parties interested in developing the Road Side Facility may contact the MSRDC. There is lot of scope for development of Road Side Facilities like Rest Places, Hotel, Motel, Restaurant, Service Station, Truck Repair and Maintenance Facility, Auto Show Room, Convention Center, Hospital, Naturopathic and Ayurvedic Center, Discount Shopping Center, Multiplex corporate training and conference facilities, Farmers Market, call centers etc.

The expressway is opened to traffic in the portion from Kon to Aadoshi Section 'A' & 'B' on 1st May 2000. Section 'C' (Kusgaon to Ozarde) and Section 'D', in part (Ozarde to Somatnephata) is opened to traffic from 27th July 2000 and (Somatnephata to Kiwale) is opened to traffic from 10th June 2000 and traffic is plying smoothly on expressway since then. Panvel Bypass Package I & II (total length 9.750 kms) has been completed and the Expressway is now opened for full length of 95 km from 1st March 2002. The average number of vehicles plying on the expressway per day is about 12,000.

Public Work Department, Government of Maharashtra, Mantralaya has issued Notification vide No.2000/Pr.kr.-106/Road - 8 dated 9th August 2004 for levying toll on vehicles traveling on Mumbai Pune Expressway. The rates of toll per trip is in force from 1st April 2005 to 31st March 2008.

Mumbai is the commercial capital of India and is growing significantly in size and population. So also Pune, the cultural capital of Maharashtra is growing into a major industrial and commercial centre. Hence, the importance of Mumbai - Pune road has increased tremendously in the last 8 - 10 years.

Due to the increase in the traffic every year resulting in jams, accidents, increase in travel time, has made it necessary to build a new and independent expressway. 400 persons were killed due to accidents on the existing Mumbai - Pune National Highway each year.

In 1990, the Government of Maharashtra appointed RITES and Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick of UK 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.

The Government of Maharashtra entrusted the work of the construction of the Mumbai - Pune Expressway to MSRDC in March 1997 on Build - Operate & Transfer (BOT) 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 13th October 1997. The Forest Clearance was received on 11th November 1997.

For the purpose of preparing detailed estimates, designs and preparation of bid documents, the work was divided into 8 sections. To facilitate proper supervision, six renowned international consultants were appointed. Initially tenders for four sections e.g. A, B, C & D were invited on 11th November 1999.

The tender notice was published in leading newspaper all over India and also on internet. Due to wide publicity 133 tenders were sold and on 18th December 1997, 55 tenders were received. After technical & financial evaluation tenders were accepted and work orders were given on 1st January 1998 to four contractors. Thereafter tenders for widening of Khandala Ghat & Lonavala - Khandala Bypass works were invited. The tenders were received on 24th August 1998 and work orders were issued on 4th September 1998. For the last section of this expressway i.e. Panval Bypass work tenders were invited and work orders were issued on 24th March 1999 and 6th April 1999.

Total Project Cost including escalation is Rs. 1630 crores.

Expressway has four lane wide tunnels at 5 locations with total length of 6000 meters. There are separate tunnels for traffic in both the directions and the cost of the tunnels is about Rs. 200 crores. The tunnels on this expressway have been provided with modern facilities of ventilation, lighting and fire fighting vehicles and would rank amongst the best in the world. This work was entrusted to Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd. on 8th December 1997. All tunnels are completed.

India's first access controlled expressway having six lane concrete pavement.

• ndia's first six lane access control expressway.
• Speedy completion of work.
• Use of modern technology & machineries.
• Construction of expressway is done as per international standard.
• For safety of traffic compound wall / fencing is proposed on both side of expressway.
• Underpass / Overpass has been provided for the state highway and other road crossings.
• Ban on two wheelers, three wheelers and tractors vehicles.
• Provision of subways for villagers at every 300 to 500 meters distance.
• Project is on Build - Operate - Transfer (BOT) basis.
• Government has given guarantee for raising of funds from financial institutions.
• To cater to traffic of Kalyan, NH17, Pen, Ahmednagar, Chakan, etc., five interchanges have been proposed.
• Cranes are provided to lift and remove accident vehicles.
• Provision of Petrol pumps / motels / workshops etc.
• Provision for 7000 trees plantation on both sides of expressway.
• Five tunnels of international standards.

• Reduction in accidents.
• Speedy completion of work.
• Savings in travel time.
• Saving in fuel consumption by vehicles.
• Fast crossing of Khandala Ghat.
• Economic development through speedy traffic.
• Reduction in pollution.

The construction material requirement and quantities of some major items are given below :-

Slip form paver for laying concrete roads
This machine can lay concrete road of 4 meters wide and 35 cm thick at the rate of 1 meter per minute.

Large Size Crusher
Crushers having large capacity of breaking metal at rate of 40 to 50 trucks per hour are in operation.

Sand Manufacturing Machine
As river sand in huge quantities required was not available, artificial sand manufacturing machines have been used.

Concrete Batching Plants
Concrete batching plants having capacity of 60 to 120 meters, 3 per hour are in operation.

Concrete transit mixers and Heavy Dumper
For transportation of concrete from batching plant to laying site, transit mixers and heavy dumpers are used.

Wagon Drills
For blasting of rocks wagon drills which can bore holes upto 10 meters depth are used.

Apart from above machinery large number of Vibratory Rollers, Spreaders, Graders, Dumpers etc. are used for earthwork.

The construction material requirement and quantities of some major items are given below :-

In order to save trees, which are coming in the carriage of the expressway, we have transplanted them at other locations within the right of way. About 500 such trees have been transplanted along the expressway.

It is proposed to plant additional 1,00,000 trees along alignment in ROW and plantation in the entire length in median.

The expressway passes through the Sahyadri ranges with natural scenic beauty. In order to provide easy facilities for entering or exiting the expressway 5 interchanges are provided at Kon, Chowk, Khalapur, Kusgoan and Talegoan.

The police provided for this purpose will do the traffic control on this expressway. Ambulances, cranes, etc. are provided so that during emergency contact can be established with control room.

It is proposed to have wayside amenities like hotels, motels, restaurants, petrol pumps, toilets and telephone facilities at different locations. The expressway has fencing on both the sides so as to prevent cattle and pedestrian traffic from crossing over. However, subways have been provided at a distance of about 300 - 500 meters for the locals.

Toll Plaza's are provided at 4 locations. Toll will be collected at these locations from vehicles using the expressway. Toll rates will depend on the distance covered by the vehicles. The toll rates for the use of the expressway for 95 km from Kalamboli to Dehu Road are as follows :-

The Expressway was opened to traffic and made fully operational from April 2002. The activity of operation and maintenance of this Expressway was entrusted to international agency M/s Elsamex Shinde IRB J/V for a period of three years upto April 2005.

Subsequently, the work of improvement of Old National Highway NH-4 is entrusted to MSRDC by Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Govt. of India. This improvement NH-4 work coupled with operation and maintenance of Mumbai Pune Expressway was entrusted to BOT operator for a period of 15 years from Aug. 2004 to Aug. 2019. This was a unique experiment done by MSRDC with success and has now become trendsetter for all the major projects to be undertaken elsewhere.