The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) is planning to introduce additional one-hour road closures on the busy Mumbai-Pune Expressway this month, starting from Tuesday. This decision is expected to impact the flow of traffic.
In a press release issued on Monday, the MSRDC explained that these traffic interruptions are necessary due to the ongoing installation of gantries at various points along the 95-kilometer-long expressway as part of the Highway Management System.
These road closures will be in effect daily from 12 noon to 1 pm between October 17 and 19, and on October 26, at various locations along the highway, according to the press release.
These closures will affect both the Pune-bound and Mumbai-bound lanes at key locations such as Lonavala, Khandala Tunnel, Dasturi Police post, Dheku village, and Khandala Exit on the specified days.
On October 17 (Tuesday), the closure will impact the Pune-bound corridor at Khandala Tunnel and Lonavala. In the following days, the closures will primarily affect the Mumbai-bound corridors, as stated in the release. Earlier this month, the state-run corporation imposed one or two-hour road closures for similar reasons.
The release also mentioned that traffic on both the Pune-bound and Mumbai-bound lanes will resume at 1 pm after the conclusion of each road closure. The Mumbai-Pune Expressway holds the distinction of being India’s first access-controlled highway. This 6-lane expressway was fully operationalized in 2002, with toll collection at five plazas, with Khalapur and Talegaon serving as primary locations.
