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The Mumbai-Pune expressway is a high speed tollway connecting the financial capital of India, Mumbai and the cultural capital of Maharashtra, Pune.
In 1990, the Government of Maharashtra appointed RITES and Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick of United Kingdom to carry out feasibility studies for the new expressway to be operated on toll basis. RITES submitted their report in 1994 with the estimated cost of project at Rs. 1146 crores (11.46 billion rupees). The Government of Maharashtra entrusted the work of the construction of Mumbai-Pune expressway to MSRDC in March 1997 on Build-Operate and Transfer basis with permission to collect toll for 30 years. The environmental clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of India was received on October 13, 1997. The Forest Clearance was received on November 11, 1997.
The tender notice was published in leading newspapers all over India and also on the Internet. Due to wide publicity, 133 tenders were sold and on December 18, 1997, 55 tenders were received. After technical and financial evaluation, tenders were accepted and work orders were given on January 1, 1998 to four contractors. Thereafter tenders for widening of Khandala ghat and Lonavala-Khandala bypass works were invited. The tenders were received on August 24, 1998 and orders were issued on September 4, 1998.
The total project cost including escalation was Rs. 1,630 crores (16.3 billion rupees).
It is India's first six lane access control "expressway".
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