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Thursday 16-Sep-2010 Toll tax increased for upgradation of Pune-Satara highway

RInfra has taken over the toll collection from Monday 13th Sept, 2010 with a hike of 25 to 33 percent.

By  Traveltechie Bureau | Mumbai

According to a report in Times of India, the four-lane, Pune-Satara national highway, which covers a distance of about 140 kms, is being developed into a six-lane expressway with additional service lanes. Officials said that the Pune-Satara expressway will be developed along the lines of the Mumbai-Pune expressway. The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has handed over the existing Pune-Satara highway to Reliance Infrastructure (RInfra), which will start the construction later this month.

RInfra has taken over the toll collection from today with a hike of 25 to 33 per cent. The one-way toll for a car will be Rs 60 against the existing Rs 45 and for a light commercial vehicle it will be Rs 100 against the existing Rs 80. “While the target is to complete the work in 32 months, we aim to finish it within 24 months,” said Lalit Jalan, CEO, RInfra.

The Pune-Satara expressway is a part of the prestigious Golden Quadrilateral. The cost of the entire project is currently estimated at Rs 1,984.77 crore. RInfra will have to recover the investment within the next 24 years by hiking the toll as prescribed by the NHAI.

Under the project, the toll points will be refurbished into swanky toll plazas within three months, which should then reduce the stopover time of vehicles by 80 per cent. RInfra will introduce medical, first-aid and patrolling services at the toll plazas. Modern restrooms will come up across the entire stretch that has the toll plaza corridor.

Apart from widening the road to a six-lane stretch, RInfra will develop 244 kms of service road, build 49 grade separation structures for pedestrians and small vehicles, build 58 bridges and upgrade the two existing toll stops.

The widening of the roadway from four to six lanes will not only shorten travel time and increase driving comfort, but also enhance potential for industrial development. RInfra expects an annual growth of ten to 12 per cent in vehicular traffic on the Pune-Satara corridor. The pace of industrial growth and economic activity is growing at 7.5 per cent, as per statistics.