Starting from yesterday, the Mumbai-bound exit at Panvel on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway will be closed for six months due to on-going construction work. This closure affects all vehicles, including light and heavy transport, traveling towards Panvel, Mumbra, and JNPT via the Kalamboli Circle.

The Maharashtra State Infrastructure Development Corporation is constructing a flyover and an underpass at Kalamboli Circle, which is expected to alleviate traffic congestion once completed. Vehicles traveling towards Panvel, Goa, and JNPT from Mumbai will be diverted left at Kon Phata, 9.6 km before the Panvel exit, to reach the Palaspe Circle and connect to NH-48, continuing to their destinations.

Additionally, vehicles traveling from Pune towards Taloja, Kalyan, and Shilphata will have to exit the expressway at Kalamboli instead of the Panvel exit. These vehicles will then follow the Sion-Panvel Highway, take a right turn near Pursharth Petrol Pump under the flyover to reach Roadpali, and continue to NH-48.

Traffic heading from Pune to the Atal Setu tunnel will remain unaffected as they will be diverted through the service road at Kon Phata.

The Mumbai-Pune Expressway, India's first 6-lane highway, spans 94.5 km and was built at a cost of approximately Rs 1.63 trillion. Since its opening, the expressway has reduced travel time between Mumbai and Pune from 3 hours to just 1 hour, significantly increasing the number of daily travellers between the two cities.

News source: News 18