Travelling to Mumbai on e-way, pay toll at Bhiwandi exit only
Ashish Roy | TNN | Jan 20, 2019, 02:25 IST
Nagpur: There will be no forced halts and long queues at the 24 toll gates on way to Mumbai from Nagpur using the Super Expressway which is also called Samruddhi Corridor. You will be able to travel non-stop till Bhiwandi, which is the final exit point, as the toll gates will be at the exit points and not on the Expressway.
The 701-kilometre long Expressway will link Jamtha on the outskirts of Nagpur with Bhiwandi. Moreover, the toll rate per kilometre is 65% of that of Mumbai-Pune Expressway. The toll between Jamtha and Bhiwandi will be Rs1,290.
Explaining the toll system of the six-lane Expressway, Radheshyam Mopalwar, managing director of Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), the agency that is executing the project, said that a software will be used to calculate the toll at the exit points.
“Suppose you are travelling to Aurangabad on the Expressway you will have to pay toll at the exit gate for the city and not anytime during the journey. When you enter the expressway at Jamtha, your vehicle will be electronically registered and you will be issued a chit. When you exit, you will know the distance travelled. If you have radio frequency identification (RFID) chips then you need not stop at the exit point at all. The central government has made this technology compulsory for vehicle manufacturers,” said Mopalwar.
“The toll will be Rs1.84 per km against Rs2.84 per km of Mumbai-Pune Expressway for cars. It will be higher for trucks and buses. Both will increase 18% every three years so our toll rate will always be lower. The toll on Super Expressway will be levied for 40 years after which only user charges will have to be paid. If the project cost is recovered earlier, we will stop levying toll,” said the MD.
Mopalwar told TOI that an eight-lane 24km expressway is being built from Bhiwandi to Mulund and another from Bhiwandi to Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT). “National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is executing these projects. Land acquisition has already started. You will be able to travel to JNPT and Mulund at 150km per hour,” he said.
According to the MSRDC chief, the cement concrete Expressway will be completed up to Igatpuri by December 2020 and up to Bhiwandi by June 2021. “This is because we have to construct five major tunnels in Thane district. We have issued work orders to all 16 contractors, who have already started cleaning and tree cutting on large patches. In some places, earthwork has also been done. Work has advanced so much that you can travel for 300km on the Expressway. Of course, it is a dirt road right now,” he said.
MSRDC had begun widening the roads linking the underconstruction Expressway to major cities and towns along it an year ago. They are 10 metre wide cement concrete roads and will be widened in future if the need arises.
The embankment (height from the ground level) of the expressway will vary from 3 metre to 9 metre. A 3 metre pre-fabricated wall will be constructed on both sides of the road. The 120 metre wide carriageway also includes service roads and space for public amenities, which were not constructed for Mumbai-Pune expressway.
On land acquisition, Mopalwar said, “We need 9,600 hectares for the expressway, interchanges and wayside amenities. In reality, 100% land is in our possession. However, some owners have not collected their money so we say that the figure is over 90%. The money has been deposited with the tehsildars and lower courts. We are no longer bothered with it.”
Turning to financing, he said, “We have tied up for Rs28,000 crore. State Bank of India (SBI) is the lead lender with Rs8,000 crore followed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) at Rs3,500 crore. AIIB has agreed to provide us another Rs1,500 crore. The other lenders are Punjab National Bank Rs3,000 crore, Bank of India Rs1,700 crore, Canara Bank Rs2,000 crore, Union Bank of India Rs1,700 crore, Bank of Baroda Rs3,000 crore, Indian Bank Rs1,500 crore, Bank of Maharashtra Rs1,000 crore, Housing and Urban Development Corporation Limited (HUDCO) Rs1,750 crore, Life Insurance Corporation Rs2,000 crore, Corporation Bank Rs1,000 crore and Indian Infrastructure Finance Company Limited Rs1,800 crore.”
Mopalwar added that in addition the MSRDC has Rs5,500 crore equity from five state government agencies. “We have chipped in with Rs2,500 crore of our own money. This money has been mainly used for land acquisition. We have already disbursed Rs6,600 crore and another Rs500 crore remains,” he said.
The MD said that there are eight railway overbridges (ROBs) on the expressway. “We have obtained clearance from the Indian Railways for five and the same for remaining three will be available by January 31,” he added.
SUPER DETAILS
Project cost will be Rs42,500 crore
Even though the project cost on paper is Rs55,332 crore, Mopalwar is confident of completing it at a cost of Rs42,500 crore. “Of this, Rs35,000 crore is the construction cost and some Rs7,500 crore for land acquisition. At the most, the cost will go up to Rs45,000 crore. State government is bearing Rs5,700 crore interest on construction so it will not be on our account. The Rs55,000 crore is on paper because it includes a lot of contingency amount as per norms,” he said.
E-way to go up to Kolkata
Central government is planning to extend the super expressway up to Kolkata. Mopalwar has already asked the Nagpur office of MSRDC to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for extending it to Gondia. NHAI is expected to build the remaining part passing through other states.
Bullet train unlikely along e-way
The consultants for Mumbai-Nagpur bullet train are not in favour of laying the track along the expressway. According to Mopalwar, the consultants want to align it along the existing Mumbai-Nagpur railway line. “Our design speed is 150km per hour while that of the bullet trains is 350 or 400km per hour. As per design, our curves should be 2km-long for change in direction. However, 80% of them are 6km-long, which is required for a bullet train. The bullet train needs a 13.75 metre wide stretch while we have a 15 metre wide median. Still, consultants are not in favour of aligning the train track along the expressway,” he said.
The MD is confident that bullet train will not reduce the viability of the expressway. “About 80% of revenue of any highway comes from freight and only 20% from passenger traffic. In any case, if you are travelling with family it will be cheaper to use expressway,” he said.
19 townships notified
MSRDC plans to build 24 townships along the expressway. Nineteen of them have already been notified under Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRPT) Act, 1966. Feasibility survey is going on for six of them. Land will be acquired for these townships under land pooling scheme and no monetary compensation will be paid.
8 lakh trees to be planted
As per Indian Roads Congress (IRC) code, an expressway should have 583 trees per km in three layers. MSRDC is planting 663 trees. It had acquired 544 hectare forest land and handed over 600 Ha in return. Money has been given to forest department for afforestation. The total number of trees to be planted by MSRDC and forest department is 8 lakh, which is 10 times the trees being felled for the project. Flow of water will not be obstructed due to the expressway. MSRDC is constructing large number of small bridges for this.
Length of e-way | 701km
Starting point | Jamtha
End point | Bhiwandi
Existing distance between Bhiwandi & Jamtha | 770km
Lanes | 6
Travel time to Bhiwandi | Max 8 hours
Present travel time | Min 16 hours
Toll rate | Rs1.84 per km for cars
Toll from Jamtha to Bhiwandi | Rs1,290
No of exit toll gates | 24
Present toll till Bhiwandi | Rs550
Maximum speed | 150km per hr
Minimum speed | 80km per hr
Vehicles not allowed | Two-wheelers, three-wheelers, tractors
Completion date till Igatpuri | December 2020
Till Bhiwandi | June 2021
Public amenities | Every 50km
CCTV coverage | Entire length
Width of carriageway | 120m
Width of median | 15m
Shape of median | V-shaped
Height of embankment | 3m to 9m
Height of wall | 3m
No of bridges, underpasses, tunnels | 1,699
Length of e-way in Vid | 347km
Length in Nagpur division | 90km
The 701-kilometre long Expressway will link Jamtha on the outskirts of Nagpur with Bhiwandi. Moreover, the toll rate per kilometre is 65% of that of Mumbai-Pune Expressway. The toll between Jamtha and Bhiwandi will be Rs1,290.
Explaining the toll system of the six-lane Expressway, Radheshyam Mopalwar, managing director of Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), the agency that is executing the project, said that a software will be used to calculate the toll at the exit points.
“Suppose you are travelling to Aurangabad on the Expressway you will have to pay toll at the exit gate for the city and not anytime during the journey. When you enter the expressway at Jamtha, your vehicle will be electronically registered and you will be issued a chit. When you exit, you will know the distance travelled. If you have radio frequency identification (RFID) chips then you need not stop at the exit point at all. The central government has made this technology compulsory for vehicle manufacturers,” said Mopalwar.
“The toll will be Rs1.84 per km against Rs2.84 per km of Mumbai-Pune Expressway for cars. It will be higher for trucks and buses. Both will increase 18% every three years so our toll rate will always be lower. The toll on Super Expressway will be levied for 40 years after which only user charges will have to be paid. If the project cost is recovered earlier, we will stop levying toll,” said the MD.
Mopalwar told TOI that an eight-lane 24km expressway is being built from Bhiwandi to Mulund and another from Bhiwandi to Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT). “National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is executing these projects. Land acquisition has already started. You will be able to travel to JNPT and Mulund at 150km per hour,” he said.
According to the MSRDC chief, the cement concrete Expressway will be completed up to Igatpuri by December 2020 and up to Bhiwandi by June 2021. “This is because we have to construct five major tunnels in Thane district. We have issued work orders to all 16 contractors, who have already started cleaning and tree cutting on large patches. In some places, earthwork has also been done. Work has advanced so much that you can travel for 300km on the Expressway. Of course, it is a dirt road right now,” he said.
MSRDC had begun widening the roads linking the underconstruction Expressway to major cities and towns along it an year ago. They are 10 metre wide cement concrete roads and will be widened in future if the need arises.
The embankment (height from the ground level) of the expressway will vary from 3 metre to 9 metre. A 3 metre pre-fabricated wall will be constructed on both sides of the road. The 120 metre wide carriageway also includes service roads and space for public amenities, which were not constructed for Mumbai-Pune expressway.
On land acquisition, Mopalwar said, “We need 9,600 hectares for the expressway, interchanges and wayside amenities. In reality, 100% land is in our possession. However, some owners have not collected their money so we say that the figure is over 90%. The money has been deposited with the tehsildars and lower courts. We are no longer bothered with it.”
Turning to financing, he said, “We have tied up for Rs28,000 crore. State Bank of India (SBI) is the lead lender with Rs8,000 crore followed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) at Rs3,500 crore. AIIB has agreed to provide us another Rs1,500 crore. The other lenders are Punjab National Bank Rs3,000 crore, Bank of India Rs1,700 crore, Canara Bank Rs2,000 crore, Union Bank of India Rs1,700 crore, Bank of Baroda Rs3,000 crore, Indian Bank Rs1,500 crore, Bank of Maharashtra Rs1,000 crore, Housing and Urban Development Corporation Limited (HUDCO) Rs1,750 crore, Life Insurance Corporation Rs2,000 crore, Corporation Bank Rs1,000 crore and Indian Infrastructure Finance Company Limited Rs1,800 crore.”
Mopalwar added that in addition the MSRDC has Rs5,500 crore equity from five state government agencies. “We have chipped in with Rs2,500 crore of our own money. This money has been mainly used for land acquisition. We have already disbursed Rs6,600 crore and another Rs500 crore remains,” he said.
The MD said that there are eight railway overbridges (ROBs) on the expressway. “We have obtained clearance from the Indian Railways for five and the same for remaining three will be available by January 31,” he added.
SUPER DETAILS
Project cost will be Rs42,500 crore
Even though the project cost on paper is Rs55,332 crore, Mopalwar is confident of completing it at a cost of Rs42,500 crore. “Of this, Rs35,000 crore is the construction cost and some Rs7,500 crore for land acquisition. At the most, the cost will go up to Rs45,000 crore. State government is bearing Rs5,700 crore interest on construction so it will not be on our account. The Rs55,000 crore is on paper because it includes a lot of contingency amount as per norms,” he said.
E-way to go up to Kolkata
Central government is planning to extend the super expressway up to Kolkata. Mopalwar has already asked the Nagpur office of MSRDC to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for extending it to Gondia. NHAI is expected to build the remaining part passing through other states.
Bullet train unlikely along e-way
The consultants for Mumbai-Nagpur bullet train are not in favour of laying the track along the expressway. According to Mopalwar, the consultants want to align it along the existing Mumbai-Nagpur railway line. “Our design speed is 150km per hour while that of the bullet trains is 350 or 400km per hour. As per design, our curves should be 2km-long for change in direction. However, 80% of them are 6km-long, which is required for a bullet train. The bullet train needs a 13.75 metre wide stretch while we have a 15 metre wide median. Still, consultants are not in favour of aligning the train track along the expressway,” he said.
The MD is confident that bullet train will not reduce the viability of the expressway. “About 80% of revenue of any highway comes from freight and only 20% from passenger traffic. In any case, if you are travelling with family it will be cheaper to use expressway,” he said.
19 townships notified
MSRDC plans to build 24 townships along the expressway. Nineteen of them have already been notified under Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRPT) Act, 1966. Feasibility survey is going on for six of them. Land will be acquired for these townships under land pooling scheme and no monetary compensation will be paid.
8 lakh trees to be planted
As per Indian Roads Congress (IRC) code, an expressway should have 583 trees per km in three layers. MSRDC is planting 663 trees. It had acquired 544 hectare forest land and handed over 600 Ha in return. Money has been given to forest department for afforestation. The total number of trees to be planted by MSRDC and forest department is 8 lakh, which is 10 times the trees being felled for the project. Flow of water will not be obstructed due to the expressway. MSRDC is constructing large number of small bridges for this.
Length of e-way | 701km
Starting point | Jamtha
End point | Bhiwandi
Existing distance between Bhiwandi & Jamtha | 770km
Lanes | 6
Travel time to Bhiwandi | Max 8 hours
Present travel time | Min 16 hours
Toll rate | Rs1.84 per km for cars
Toll from Jamtha to Bhiwandi | Rs1,290
No of exit toll gates | 24
Present toll till Bhiwandi | Rs550
Maximum speed | 150km per hr
Minimum speed | 80km per hr
Vehicles not allowed | Two-wheelers, three-wheelers, tractors
Completion date till Igatpuri | December 2020
Till Bhiwandi | June 2021
Public amenities | Every 50km
CCTV coverage | Entire length
Width of carriageway | 120m
Width of median | 15m
Shape of median | V-shaped
Height of embankment | 3m to 9m
Height of wall | 3m
No of bridges, underpasses, tunnels | 1,699
Length of e-way in Vid | 347km
Length in Nagpur division | 90km
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