The first high-speed expressway in the nation is the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. Did you know that? In 1999, a portion of the highway was made accessible to the general public, and by 2002, the whole stretch was completely functional. The expressway has been accessible to the general public for 25 years. This motorway has connections to Pune at one end and Mumbai, India's financial center, at the other.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the prime minister at the time, contributed a substantial sum of money to the development of the Mumbai-Pune expressway. An estimated Rs 1,630 crore was spent on the development of this expressway, according to media estimates. It starts in Navi Mumbai's Kalamboli neighborhood and travels 94.5 kilometers to Kiwale, Pune.
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The highway, which was built by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), reduces the three-hour travel time between two cities to just one hour. It's crucial to remember that the expressway toll is raised by 6% a year, with a cumulative increase of 18% after every three years.
The toll was last changed in April 2023, when it was raised from Rs 270 to Rs 320 and from Rs 495 for vehicles like minibuses and tempos to Rs 320 instead of Rs 420. The present toll of Rs 585 for two-axle vehicles has been raised to Rs 685. Buses used to pay ₹797, but now they pay Rs 940. According to officials, the toll charges won't be altered after the three-year milestone in 2026 and will stay the same until 2030.
10 Interesting Facts About The Mumbai-Pune Expressway
- The Mumbai-Pune expressway was constructed by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC)
- A section of the expressway was opened to the public in 1999, and by 2002, the entire stretch was fully operational
- One end of this expressway connects to Mumbai, the financial capital of India, while the other end leads to Pune.
- The construction of this expressway incurred a cost of approximately Rs 1,630 crore.
- Spanning 94.5 kilometers, it begins in the Kalamboli area of Navi Mumbai and ends in Kiwale, Pune.
- The expressway cuts the travel time between two cities from 3 hours to just 1 hour.
- The toll of the expressway is increased by 6 percent annually but is implemented cumulatively at 18 percent after every three years.
- It was last revised in April 2023, when the toll was increased to Rs 320 from Rs 270 and Rs 495 for vehicles like minibusses and tempos instead of the current Rs 420.
- The toll for two-axle trucks has been increased from the current Rs 585 to Rs 685.
- Buses will now pay Rs 940, up from the earlier Rs 797
