May 20, 2007 02:46 PM
13011 Views
(Updated May 20, 2007 03:38 PM)
Welcome to Mumbai – Pune Expressway. It’s not a Highway, it’s a masterpiece and country’s best road ever built. The expressway has significantly reduced travel time between Mumbai – Pune to about three hours, making driving safer and a pleasant experience.
Join me as I drive on to the Expressway. From Mumbai one has to reach Panvel . Its here where the Expressway begins. Its stretches about 120 kms. In case if you are in a mood for a Burger treat, just before start of the expressway to your left you have Mc Donalds. The restaurant also offers an innovative drive through facility for take away meals.
As we move ahead a huge sign board greets us “ Welcome to Mumbai – Pune Expressway ” & we hit the huge six lane highway which has three lanes on either sides. Before we drive ahead some tips on safety. The lane on the extreme right is meant for high speed and overtaking vehicles, the lane in the middle is for vehicles with steady speeds and the lane in the extreme left is for slow moving trucks and heavy vehicles. Restrict your top speed to 80 Km / hr as speeds in excess have have a risk of tyre bursts and can prove fatal.
Let us fasten our seat belts, shift gears and zoom ahead. Distance between Panvel – Khopoli can be easily covered in about 25 – 30 minutes. It’s at Khopoli where you touch the first toll station called as the Khalapur toll naka. The toll charges are as follows:
Car – Rs 118 / -
LCV – Rs 183 / -
Truck – Rs 254 / -
Bus – Rs 348 / -
On paying the toll you get a card which you need to surrender at the second toll station at the other end of the expressway. As we cross the Khalapur toll station to our left we see a huge food mall and a petrol pump. The place is well constructed with multiple food joints and ideal for a short break.
Moving on within minutes we hit the Ghats and this stretch ahead is the most exciting part of the journey. As we begin the ascent of the Sahyadri hills, the temperature becomes colder and it feels highly refreshing. The roads in Ghats are well constructed with lots of signboards for a safe driving. Once at top you see the real beauty of Lonavla – Khandala hill stations and down below you would see the sprawling Khopoli township. The roads cuts amazingly through the mountains and offers you a breath taking view. Lonavla & Khandala are indeed beautiful hill stations and ideal for weekends tours. In monsoons it is a beauty to see series of waterfalls, misty lush green landscape and dense forests. It takes about 30 minutes to drive through the Ghats and our destination, Pune city will be at a distance of about 50 kms from here.
As we begin the descent, we come across Sinhgad institutes. This is an educational institute constructed in the mountains and looks very picturesque. The drive from Lonavala to outskirts of Pune to second and final toll naka located at village Urse is about 35 minutes . The drive hereon is peaceful and once reaching the second toll naka from here a little ahead ends the expressway.
The road on expressway is cement concrete and is excellently maintained. You won’t find any potholes on the expressway. Tunnels are well designed with 3 rows of halogen lamps spread across the tunnels. The tunnels have green back lit signboards asking you maintain 80 km / hr. The tunnels are equipped with air blowers to maintain air circulation.
At every possible stage of the highway you will find sign boards giving distance, road curves ahead, speed limit, and safety instructions to make your drive safe and sound. The expressway is fenced on both the sides hence no intrusions. It has significant number of overhead bridges to facilitate local populations to move across.
The entire expressway is equipped with patrol vans, Ambulances and towing vans for any kind of break down. Incase of any emergency the mobile numbers to be contacted are 9822498224 or 9833498334 which connect you to expressway control room and be assured the help reaches you promptly. Located at regular distances along the highway are hotlines which are placed on distinctly visible yellow colored poles with a telephone sign. These hotlines connect you directly to control room. The highway has food malls, police control rooms and petrol pumps at regular intervals.
The drive on the Mumbai – Pune Expressway is a pleasant and refreshing journey. The highway has been brilliantly conceptualized and well executed. It’s a technological marvel.
Experience it ….!
