In a remarkable surge of vehicular movement, toll plaza data from the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has revealed that the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and Mumbai-Pune highway (National Highway 4) collectively hosted a staggering 9.7 lakh vehicles over the weekend. The Pune-bound carriageway dominated with 65% of the traffic, while the Mumbai-bound carriageway held 35%. This influx led to significant traffic congestion, particularly in the ghat section, accentuated by the weekend and the Christmas holiday.
Analyzing the Traffic Dynamics: Expressway vs. Highway
The breakdown of the vehicle count indicates that the Expressway bore the brunt of the surge with 6.08 lakh vehicles, while the highway accommodated 3.62 lakh vehicles. The toll data, however, currently lacks the capability to be filtered by carriageway or vehicle type, hindering a comprehensive analysis of the traffic distribution.
Impact of Christmas Weekend: Ghat Section Jams and Vehicular Turnout
As the weekend coincided with the Christmas holiday on Monday, the ghat section—common to both the Expressway and the highway—witnessed major traffic jams. The adjoining stretch of approximately 6 km experienced congestion, contributing to the challenges faced by commuters navigating this popular route.
Toll Plazas and Data Challenges: Unveiling Road Usage Patterns
With a total of eight toll plazas, evenly distributed between Raigad and Pune districts, the MSRDC-appointed contractor, IRB, oversees toll collection on both the Expressway and the highway. The toll posts in Raigad district include Khalapur and Shedung for the Expressway and Shilphata and Shedung for the highway. Meanwhile, the Pune district stretch features toll plazas at Kusgaon and Talegaon for the Expressway and toll posts at Kusgaon and Dehu Road for the highway.
Weekend Turnout Statistics: A Breakdown
- Saturday recorded the highest vehicle turnout, exceeding 3.39 lakh.
- Sunday followed closely with over 3.2 lakh vehicles.
- Monday maintained the momentum with a turnout exceeding 3.1 lakh vehicles.
Challenges in Data Analysis: Toll Data Constraints
While the toll data captures the overall vehicular influx, the current limitation in bifurcating the data based on carriageway and vehicle type poses challenges. The filtration process is deemed time-consuming, according to MSRDC toll plaza executive engineer Sharad Rane.
