[paragsachania]

Poor Daily travelers, Truckers and Buses! Cars are spared this time from the mayhem called Pune-Satara.

I am underlining certain jokes that seriously exists on this highway!!

Hike At 2 Toll Posts Along Pune-Satara Highway

Using the accidentprone Pune-Satara highway which has no lane markings or signages will become a tad costlier, with the toll fee at two posts here being hiked, albeit marginally , from April 1.

The National Highway Authority of India has announced the increase in toll charges at Khed Shivapur (Pune district) and Anewadi (Satara district) in a notification in the Government Gazette. Both NHAI as well as other government authorities have said there are several issues that need to be addressed.

PS Toll Road Private Ltd, the company carrying out the six-laning work of the 140km highway stretch on behalf of the NHAI, issued a public notice on Sunday with details of the hike. While there is no hike for cars, jeeps, vans or light commercial vehicles for a single journey , monthly charges for these vehicles have been increased. Similarly , rates have been hiked marginally for buses, trucks or other heavy vehicles for single journey , return journey and monthly pass.

The monthly hike is in the range of Rs 50 to Rs 300, whereas the hike in the daily toll fee for single and return journeys varies from Rs 5 to about Rs 20, depending on the vehicle.

The widening work of the highway has been in the spotlight for several months due to lack of adequate road safety measures. Several vehicle users have also lodged complaints at the two toll plazas about the poor road condition.

On March 16, two students lost their lives after a speeding car hit them when they were crossing the road at Wakad. A subway meant for safe pedestrian crossing has been water logged for the past five years and work on it started only after the accident.

In December 2013, the traffic branch of the city police had submitted a report to the NHAI listing 20 accidentprone areas on just a 34-km stretch of the highway from Kiwale to Katraj.

An email TOI sent on Sun day to the chief project manager of the PS Toll Road Private Ltd on the lack of road safety measures received no response. Incidentally , the company has to complete the sixlaning work before the end of this year.

Pune Zilla Parishad member Kuldip Sudamrao Konde of the Shiv Sena questioned the toll hike saying road users are facing hardships. Konde, in a letter sent earlier this month to the district collector and NHAI, said the widening work has been very slow, and construction of subways and service roads delayed because of which accidents are on the rise. When contacted, Konde said the NHAI informed him hat it has received over 500 let ers from citizens and political groups on absence of road safety measures and other issues.

Toll fee at the two toll plazas on the Pune-Solapur highway will also increase from April 1. The two toll plazas, Varwade and Sawaleshwar, are in Solapur district.

Company urged to reduce queues at toll plazas

Last month, the NHAI said that the company (road concessionaire) should undertake measures to reduce long queues at the Khed Shivapur toll plaza.This was after the Pune divisional commissioner expressed serious concern at a meeting held in February. The NHAI said that additional land is being acquired to increase the toll lanes and that it will take time. It, however, suggested that the company give effective training to toll-collecting staff so that time taken to collect money and give receipts is minimized. NHAI said the company should also increase staff at toll plazas, especially during peak hours and holidays and ensure that entry and exit roads at the plazas are free of potholes.

Commuter registers 50th complaint

Subhash Raje, a resident of Khadakwasla Road in Pune, in a complaint filed at the Anewadi road toll plaza in January, said that toll is being collected despite the road condition being poor. He is a regular user of the road and this is his 50th complaint, he said. “It is dangerous to drive on the road, particularly at night. At least ensure the safety of the travellers. There are no road signages and no lane markings painted in white,“ he said.

Put up signages, traffic division tells NHAI

The Warje traffic division has sent letters to the NHAI to implement road safety measures on the Chandni chowk-Katraj tunnel stretch. It has pointed out that there is a steep slope on this stretch where vehicles tend to speed. Traffic officials said road signages should be put up and the road condition improved. In addition, the Warje traffic division has asked the NHAI to install streetlights at Chandni chowk, Mai Mangeshkar hospital, Warje gaothan, Nadipul, Suncity, and Wadgaon highway bus stop. Many pedestrians cross the highway and it is necessary that adequate safety measures are in place, officials pointed out.

Here's the entire story.

[akshay380]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

That is what I meant. Closer to NICE such that you take less than 10 minutes to Enter NICE, then NICE makes sense.

Secondly, You don't gain much by entering NTBL right at Goreguntepalya over entering it at NICE-NH4 Intersection. All this would really depend on the time of the day. For instance, at 7am you enter NTBL at Goreguntepalya via ORR or entering NTBL on Tumkur Road via NICE, definitely the latter will be faster any day.

3am and closer to ORR means ORR and nothing else.

Thank you sir. Any 24 hour open pumps on this route until Tumkur?

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by akshay380

Thank you sir. Any 24 hour open pumps on this route until Tumkur?

Between Pune and Kagal (4 kms after Kognoli Toll) these are recommened.

1. Khedshivpur BPCL CoCo.
2. Konduskar BPCL CoCo.
3. Another BPCL COCO after Tax check post
4. BPCL CoCo before Dharwad High Court.
5. IOCL CoCo after Dharwad High Court.
6. BPCL CoCo near Ranebennur Bypass
7. BPCL CoCo after Sira Bypass
8. Plenty between Tumkur and Bangalore on both sides.

Since am posting from Mobile I will post approximate locations of these and for both directions on tomorrow. Flipping few pages back on this thread also has this info posted by me 2 months back.

Edit- All the above are open 24 Hours and not all Accept cards for payment.

[YVES]

Originally Posted by DAART

The bad stretch of roads starts from Sattara to Pune. Lot of diversions as the road is under construction. Watch out for these under construction roads as a four lane stretch suddenly narrows down to two-lane and then suddenly you will be driving on a single lane mud road.

How bad are the Roads from Satara to Pune is it for the complete Journey or is limited to certain stretch/kms.
Planning to halt at Satara overnight and start early morning around 5am for Nasik via pune

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by YVES

How bad are the Roads from Satara to Pune is it for the complete Journey or is limited to certain stretch/kms.
Planning to halt at Satara overnight and start early morning around 5am for Nasik via pune

• The stretch is approximately 100 kms connecting Satara and Pune Bypass.
• There are multiple diversions (easily 8-10) where over-bridge construction work is in progress
• There are various sections where road is expanded to 6 lanes but is either unmarked or surface is chipped off

With all this, the road cannot be termed as non-motorable.

The above reasons only make the progress slower and may add anything from 45 minutes to 1 Hour extra.

At nights, due to the absence of lane markers, things take a back seat when it comes to driving here for the first time. Hence one needs to be cautious enough for the first time on this stretch.

Else, this is just like any other highway that is undergoing lane expansion work with the only difference being that this one is happening since at least 3+ years now!!

[CowlFlap]

Originally Posted by akshay380

Even I pulled over and inspected if something is wrong. Was driving a Figo with MRFs.

I believe it has happened with a number of motorists. According to a localite, it was even covered by a local media channel.

Actually, I'm quite surprised that it hasn't been mentioned on this thread earlier; at least not that I've come across. Make no mistake, members on this thread (Parag in particular) have posted many details here that have proved to be very useful for others and myself. For instance, the distance to speedbreakers was one thing I found to be very accurate and helpful. In fact, it may have been this detailed account that caught me napping.

When I heard that sound, I was seriously taken aback. In all my years of travel, I haven't ever heard of a road creating that kind of a groaning moaning din! I hadn't read of it on the forum either, so my first thought was "OMG! Something's gone really really bad here." I was travelling with my parents, so that may have exacerbated the issue in my mind. When I stopped at the Indian Oil petrol pump, the guys came over and told me, "Saar, road..road." Often, we city dwellers think we've got it all figured out! Roflmao!

The other thing that caught me by surprise was the fog. "I say, what is this? Is it smoke? Is there a fire or something up ahead?" Visibility was so bad, it was hard to spot the reflectors on the back of the trucks. Many a Woohoo moments!

I hope I've learnt this one thing from that incident: No matter what, we've got to be ready for everything. The forum is helpful, very helpful, but can't sit back on it 100 percent. Moreover, conditions change frequently.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by CowlFlap

Actually, I'm quite surprised that it hasn't been mentioned on this thread earlier; at least not that I've come across. Make no mistake, members on this thread (Parag in particular) have posted many details here that have proved to be very useful for others and myself. For instance, the distance to speedbreakers was one thing I found to be very accurate and helpful. In fact, it may have been this detailed account that caught me napping.

The only unusual noise that I regularly get to listen to is when I drive on the leftmost lane between Haveri Bypass towards Ranebennur is a humming (resonating) noise. This is only for a few kilometers and in fractions as I pass certain sections of Tarmac as if there is something really hollow below the road.

I guess we discussed this over PM?

In fact, same noise comes even when I drive between Hassan and Channarayapatna exactly opposite to KPTCL Sub Station.

But I believe, you guys are referring to something completely different that I have never come across and hence I never mentioned here .

[bigwheelz]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

The only unusual noise that I regularly get to listen to is when I drive on the leftmost lane between Haveri Bypass towards Ranebennur is a humming (resonating) noise. This is only for a few kilometers and in fractions as I pass certain sections of Tarmac as if there is something really hollow below the road.

I got the same experience on 22nd mar while travelling on thus stretch. I had read your post but it still scared the hell out of me. I stopped twice to check the tyres and other stuff. Nothing prepares you for those ghostly noises even if you know its gonna happen. Any scientific reason behind it?

[Rev2Run]

Paragbhai, even I experienced some weird noise in this patch on my return journey from Ahemdabad to Bangalore. Along with me few other motorists also heard some strange noise and they also stopped. They came and asked me about whether I also heard some strange noise? I checked my car tires & couldn't find anything wrong!

Next week I am planning to travel from Bangalore to Rajkot so let's see if I come across that strange noise or not.

Paragbhai, you said it right we have to go through bad stretch of Satara-Pune highway and now have to even pay more for such pain.

Originally Posted by paragsachania

The only unusual noise that I regularly get to listen to is when I drive on the leftmost lane between Haveri Bypass towards Ranebennur is a humming (resonating) noise. This is only for a few kilometers and in fractions as I pass certain sections of Tarmac as if there is something really hollow below the road.

I guess we discussed this over PM?

In fact, same noise comes even when I drive between Hassan and Channarayapatna exactly opposite to KPTCL Sub Station.

But I believe, you guys are referring to something completely different that I have never come across and hence I never mentioned here .

[CowlFlap]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

The only unusual noise that I regularly get to listen to is when I drive on the leftmost lane between Haveri Bypass towards Ranebennur is a humming (resonating) noise. This is only for a few kilometers and in fractions as I pass certain sections of Tarmac as if there is something really hollow below the road.

I guess we discussed this over PM?

In fact, same noise comes even when I drive between Hassan and Channarayapatna exactly opposite to KPTCL Sub Station.

But I believe, you guys are referring to something completely different that I have never come across and hence I never mentioned here .

Hi Parag,
I'm not very sure if it's limited to a particular lane, but it's much like a very peculiar and distinct groan; more than just a humming actually. You're right, it isn't continuous for entire kms, and it occurs for long sections only along that motibennur to Ranibennur stretch. Surprisingly, the sound does not come in the opposite direction, except only for a very very short stretch. Thanks for your inputs and regular insights. Fueled up in KN all through to keep fuel costs down.

Originally Posted by bigwheelz

I got the same experience on 22nd mar while travelling on thus stretch. I had read your post but it still scared the hell out of me. I stopped twice to check the tyres and other stuff. Nothing prepares you for those ghostly noises even if you know its gonna happen. Any scientific reason behind it?

Somebody I know who has also experienced it and travels that section routinely mentioned that it may be coming from the wheel bearings. The road has probably been tarred incorrectly, or some poor material may have been used that loads the bearings unusually. I'll leave it to the experts to explain. What I can say is that the sound becomes more prominent when you slow down. Maybe it's the case that the sound causes you to slow down, which makes it more audible.

[fash_1]

Will be doing this route for the first time in a self drive rental (mostly Carzonrent). Any indication on where can I locate the MH border check post to pay the entry tax?

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by fash_1

Any indication on where can I locate the MH border check post to pay the entry tax?

You will first cross Nippani Town followed by Kagal/Kognoli toll which is the last toll in KA before entering MH. This is where you pay 35 INR as toll.

Soon after this, you will get a IBP fuel station on the left followed by the check RTO post for MH. You would see a good number of trucks parked here for paying the taxes and you wont miss this for sure. This check post will appear within 1-2 kms after Kagal toll booth.

[VJ_MAVRICK]

Hey Folks! I had been off the forum for quite a long time but nevertheless was a silent follower whenever I could. Nice to see the thread grow by leaps and bounds with updates for people plying on this segment.

I am planning to drive down to Tiptur from Pune, so can anyone point me the detour off Tumkur ?

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by VJ_MAVRICK

I am planning to drive down to Tiptur from Pune, so can anyone point me the detour off Tumkur ?

Hiruyur should be the ideal turn off for Tiptur from NH4. If not, Sira which is another 30+ kms ahead is another turn off to get towards Tiptur.

Honestly, I am unable to recall any specific landmark for you to help exit NH4 for Tiptur but trust google maps here and you should be safe.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by VJ_MAVRICK

I am planning to drive down to Tiptur from Pune, so can anyone point me the detour off Tumkur ?

Dont exit at Tumkur. Exit at Hiriyur. Take the road to Huliyar and there on to Tiptur. You will need to get into Hiriyur town to access the Huliyar road.