[honeybee]

Update: The urge to check out the old route finally overpowered the wrath of my wife about wasting time and I drove to Pune through the old road.

The surface is just butter smooth when compared to the harsh concrete that jars your bones on the expressway. The curves are a divine delight.... The only trouble was some pipe laying work at Khopoli which ate up a good part of an hour.

[freedom]

Originally Posted by honeybee

The surface is just butter smooth when compared to the harsh concrete that jars your bones on the expressway.

I use the Pune-Lonavala sections on old NH4 atleast 2 times a month. Its always been in great shape. It takes me only 10 extra minutes compared to expressway.

I have not tried Lonavala-Panvel-Shilphata-Mumbra-Thane road since 2010, it was in bad condition back then.

[pankajn1702]

Guys, for some reason google maps does not show the old bombay pune highway.
It keeps showing the eway only.

Can someone please post the exact and complete route? Preferably mapped out with main turning points.

My route is Thane - Lonavala - Pune

I do not wish to go via eway.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by pankajn1702

Guys, for some reason google maps does not show the old bombay pune highway.
It keeps showing the eway only.

Can someone please post the exact and complete route? Preferably mapped out with main turning points.

My route is Thane - Lonavala - Pune

I do not wish to go via eway.

At Panvel, you will get a well marked signage that says "Pune via Expressway" and "Pune via NH4".

For expressway, you climb an overbridge after this but for old Highway you keep left to approach the old highway.

After this its the usual dual carriageway for you with tolls.

The NH4 will merge with Expressway at Lonavala for almost 8 kms (if I recall it right). While you are on the eway, you take the exit marked for Lonavala after crossing Amrutanjan Bridge and driving ahead 2 kms further. So when you take the exit marked for Lonavala while you are on eway heading towards Pune, you will get back onto NH4/Old Highway.

But mind you, from Thane via Mumbra, NH4 is just bad bad traffic and mostly trailers which crawl and roads are not in best shape.

My advice to you would be to drive all the way till Vashi via Belapur Road and then exit Sion Panvel Highway at Panvel for NH4. Works best.

[honeybee]

From Thane if you really want to travel on the old NH4, drive through Kalwa and take a right at the Kalwa circle near Retibunder. The road goes through the Mumbra town (the old NH4), but you may want to take the new (14 year old) bypass that will avoid all Mumbra traffic.

Once you exit the bypass, turn right with Mumbra behind you, and this road will go straight to Kalamboli.

Here again, the old road goes right through Panvel but you can now take the flyover that avoids most of Panvel city traffic and rejoin the old NH4 and then drive on towards Khopoli. From here it should be a straightforward route via Khandala ghat to Kamshet, Talegaon and Pune.

[vivek95]

Originally Posted by honeybee

The surface is just butter smooth when compared to the harsh concrete that jars your bones on the expressway. The curves are a divine delight.... The only trouble was some pipe laying work at Khopoli which ate up a good part of an hour.

Originally Posted by freedom

I use the Pune-Lonavala sections on old NH4 atleast 2 times a month. Its always been in great shape. It takes me only 10 extra minutes compared to expressway.

I have not tried Lonavala-Panvel-Shilphata-Mumbra-Thane road since 2010, it was in bad condition back then.

Completely agree with you both Old NH4 Mumbai--Pune is such a buttersmooth tarmac. Gives a good break once in a while from the concrete Expressway. I have ridden about 13-15 times in the last 3 years by this old NH4 and it always rekindled my memories of travelling on this old road as a kid by bus, before the superb Expressway was born. Getting stuck in those 5 hour long traffic snarls in the Bhor ghat aka Khandala ghat are still fresh in my mind. Today you get stuck for only 15 mins in Lonavala town traffic, apart from that it's pure business gliding over the smooth curves till Khopoli, the superb ghat thereafter and then hitting a longish straight from Lonavala till Pune (Talegaon). All the while, getting beautiful glimpses of valleys,hills Expressway and railway lines. Thanks to the authorities concerned who maintain this highway. Last year for a very short period, potholes appeared post monsoons between Bombay and Khopoli, but they were soon patched up nicely by the next time I rode in September. It's said, the old NH4 will also be converted to 6 lanes all the way.

Originally Posted by paragsachania

The NH4 will merge with Expressway at Lonavala for almost 8 kms (if I recall it right).
.

Yes right, just to be precise -- 6 kms for the Mumbai-Pune direction and 5 kms for the Pune--Mumbai direction. By the way, I have shared in another thread how to do Mumbai-Pune-Mumbai old NH4 all the way WITHOUT touching Expressway (legally).

Check here -- http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post3999259

[silverado]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

At Panvel, you will get a well marked signage that says "Pune via Expressway" and "Pune via NH4".

For expressway, you climb an overbridge after this but for old Highway you keep left to approach the old highway.

My advice to you would be to drive all the way till Vashi via Belapur Road and then exit Sion Panvel Highway at Panvel for NH4. Works best.

The Easier way is to get on the expressway at Panvel and exit at Shedung, which is around 10-15 mins after eway starts. Since you are just 10 mins on eway you exit well before Khalapur toll and you also completely bypass panvel.

The Shedung exit takes you to old NH4.However this exit has a toll, which takes 25-30rs.

If you are travelling from Mumbai, there is absolutely no traffic till Khopoli, real joy to drive and the Ghat section is well paved and free of potholes.I have recently driven Mumbai to Pune in Nano and Wego both, both journeys took around 3 hours by old highway.

Toll is Rs101 for 4 wheelers on old NH4.

[vivek95]

Originally Posted by silverado

The Easier way is to get on the expressway at Panvel and exit at Shedung, which is around 10-15 mins after eway starts. Since you are just 10 mins on eway you exit well before Khalapur toll and you also completely bypass panvel.

The Shedung exit takes you to old NH4.However this exit has a toll, which takes 25-30rs.

Spot on ! Shedung exit is the fastest. I have tried all other routes, listing them in order of being faster to bypass Panvel and touch old NH4 -

1. SPTPL -- Expressway - exit at Shedung -- easy straight,fast.

2. SPTPL-- Panvel city -- Old NH4 at Palapse phata

3.SPTPL -- NH 4C for bypassing Panvel city -- JNPT -- touch Old NH4 at Palapse phata

2nd and 3rd routes take more or less the same time, bypass the Shedung toll of 25-30rs.
I personally prefer taking 4C though it's a bit longer.( bcoz I mostly ride and can't take Eway post Kalamboli till Shedung)


For someone starting from Palm beach road ( like me) in New Bombay. This route at times works best and is almost same as taking SPTPL, at times really faster and rarely slower due to container truck jams. The route is --
Palm beach road--NMMC corp circle/killa--right turn--Belapur--Uran road--left--JNPT road--touch Old NH4 at Palapse phata. Also works good to touch Expressway. ( involves one additional toll)

Needless to say, roads are very good on all these routes. The Palm beach-- Belapur--Uran stretch is also preferred by some to proceed further via Chirner to touch NH17. ( we however know, the Eway--Khalapur--Pali is the most popular route to take to touch NH17 from Bombay)

[Ravindra M]

I am planning to visit Mumbai this weekend.
What is the latest update on the condition ? Is it still desirable ?

[GreyNomad]

Originally Posted by Ravindra M

I am planning to visit Mumbai this weekend.
What is the latest update on the condition ? Is it still desirable ?

Ive been doing the Bombay-Pune return trip on my bike through the old highway atleast twice a month , for the last year or so. I find it to be way more scenic and the ride/drive more engaging than the Expressway. With a lot of road work going on on the expressway, the old highway is actually a better option.

[alpha1]

Originally Posted by GreyNomad

Ive been doing the Bombay-Pune return trip on my bike through the old highway atleast twice a month , for the last year or so. I find it to be way more scenic and the ride/drive more engaging than the Expressway. With a lot of road work going on on the expressway, the old highway is actually a better option.

I remember driving on the old highway some 15 year back (whoa, didn't realize I have become that old!) ... however it was descent only - which was very scenic and wavy with hairpin bends. On ascent I had chosen Expressway.

So my question: is the ascent for old highway a separate road or is it the same road that is used to decend, OR do we have to use expressway for the ascent section?

[GreyNomad]

If you’re talking about the Lonavla to Khopoli stretch, you can use the expressway if on a car. If riding, there’s a different road that bypasses the expressway and takes you through a series of hairpin bends. The start of this road is marked by a no entry sign IMO it’s for cars.

[ruzbehxyz]

Originally Posted by alpha1

So my question: is the ascent for old highway a separate road or is it the same road that is used to decend, OR do we have to use expressway for the ascent section?

Originally Posted by GreyNomad

If you’re talking about the Lonavla to Khopoli stretch, you can use the expressway if on a car. If riding, there’s a different road that bypasses the expressway and takes you through a series of hairpin bends. The start of this road is marked by a no entry sign IMO it’s for cars.

Both NH4 /NH48 or old Bombay Pune road and the expressway are different. However certain patch on the ghats / Bhor ghat or Khandala ghat is the same or common for all vehicles. This is the missing link and hence a tunnel is currently being made for the ghat section.

The main objective behind the Missing Link project is to primarily bypass the existing Khandala Ghat section, which has been a site of landslides and accidents during the monsoon. Currently, the Expressway and the NH4 meet near Khalapur toll plaza and fork out near the Khandala exit. The section from Adoshi tunnel to Khandala exit is a 6 lane road, but traffic of a 10 lane road (6 lanes of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and 4 lanes of NH4) plies on this section, resulting in heavy traffic.

[nxshar2]

Hi, which side would be more rewarding tarmac and view wise - going up or down - for someone coming from Mumbai? Do we get any slow moving truck traffic early morning either ways?

[Mustang Sammy]

Hi folks, I took the old highway to Pune and back to Mumbai this weekend. The drive to Pune is very nice, except for some slow patches in Khopoli which you can mitigate by leaving early. However the road merges with the expressway at some point in the ghats.
Does the diversion on the left continue into Lonavla?

Same thing on the way back - the road merges with the expressway, with a turnoff on the left that says "no entry" but a couple of people were using it. Does it go all the way to Khopoli?

Thanks in advance