[ryzen7@5800u]

Travelled on the Samruddhi Expressway for the first time today. We covered the 58.2km distance from the Interchange 4 at Wardha and Interchange 1 at Nagpur in 49.6 minutes, resulting in an average speed of 70.4 km/h. Speeds on the speedo was kept between 80-90.
My dad's opinions:
Should be safe within legal speed limits.
Concrete has been laid smoothly for the most part.
The road is well marked and signposted.
The lack of rest halts can increase exhaustion and drowsiness in longer drives.
Wide, empty and straight roads does lead to a numbness to speed, and is very tiring.

My opinions as from the passenger seat:
Sightlines seem to be good, no curve/hill can take you by surprise.
Joints between the bridges and concrete need to be smoothened - it can catch drowsy drivers unaware and maybe lead to a loss in control.
The few poor stretches of concrete cause discomfort even at lower speeds of 80km/h, with odd oscillations in our Nexon.
The barriers near concrete bridge boxes (between the two sides) seem to be appropriately strengthened to keep cars from hitting the edges of the boxes.

All in all, it was a smooth experience, and I am excited to see more such expressways!

[nadbe]

Team,
I will be travelling from Pune to nagpur in the first week of June. I had travelled earlier through samruddhi highway and taken the interexchange from waluj . I am thinking whether the shirdi interexchange will be nearer.

The shirdi interexchange is around 195km from my place and waluj interexchange is about 250km. Distance from Shirdi interxchange to nagpur is 500km and from Waluj it's around 466km on samruddhi.

Anyone travelled through shirdi to nagpur can share their experiences whether they saved some time

[inder]

Go via Shirdi you will definitely save time. I have done it. 5:30 hrs from Shirdi to Nagpur. With legal speeds.

Originally Posted by nadbe

Team,
I will be travelling from Pune to nagpur in the first week of June. I had travelled earlier through samruddhi highway and taken the interexchange from waluj . I am thinking whether the shirdi interexchange will be nearer.

The shirdi interexchange is around 195km from my place and waluj interexchange is about 250km. Distance from Shirdi interxchange to nagpur is 500km and from Waluj it's around 466km on samruddhi.

Anyone travelled through shirdi to nagpur can share their experiences whether they saved some time

[JoshMachine]

Originally Posted by nadbe

Team,
I will be travelling from Pune to nagpur in the first week of June. I had travelled earlier through samruddhi highway and taken the interexchange from waluj . I am thinking whether the shirdi interexchange will be nearer.

The shirdi interexchange is around 195km from my place and waluj interexchange is about 250km. Distance from Shirdi interxchange to nagpur is 500km and from Waluj it's around 466km on samruddhi.

Anyone travelled through shirdi to nagpur can share their experiences whether they saved some time

Distance between Shirdi interchange and Walunj/Takli is about 95 km. Time required to travel this distance will be approx. <=1 hr. on the Samruddhi expressway at allowed speed limits.

If this time of <=1hr is less than the time required to traverse that additional distance from your home to reach Walunj interchange, then you should start from Shirdi interchange.

[RashmiRathi]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/indiane...-8618297/lite/

News article on last phase

[nadbe]

Originally Posted by JoshMachine

Distance between Shirdi interchange and Walunj/Takli is about 95 km. Time required to travel this distance will be approx. <=1 hr. on the Samruddhi expressway at allowed speed limits.

If this time of <=1hr is less than the time required to traverse that additional distance from your home to reach Walunj interchange, then you should start from Shirdi interchange.

Thank you, that's a valid point. I think with above consideration Waluj- Takli interchange makes sense.

[Stribog]

Originally Posted by parsh

Just did Nagpur Mumbai via Samruddhi yesterday on 10 May 2023.

Attaching the log of the trip.

Hey, am doing the Pench run from Mumbai on Thu.

If I read this right,

1) there is one petrol pump just before the start of the e-way in Shirdi? The IOC one but there is one around midway?

2) when you say you halted for tyre pressure, in the 10 mins did you notice any good reduction in the same? Also this is a no halt e-way right? Where exactly do you safely halt?

[parsh]

Originally Posted by Stribog

Hey, am doing the Pench run from Mumbai on Thu.

If I read this right,

1) there is one petrol pump just before the start of the e-way in Shirdi? The IOC one but there is one around midway?

Yes there is Fuel Pump, decently big IOC one atleast in Shirdi. But that is not noted in my log.

The next I find are HP and IOC on Left near Aurangabad going from Shirdi to Nagpur (at 461 mark HP On Right, and at 420 mark, after the tunnels, IOC on Right going from Nagpur to Shirdi).

If there are any other, I may have missed. But mostly I think there were none other than this. So these are safe to rely on.

2) when you say you halted for tyre pressure, in the 10 mins did you notice any good reduction in the same? Also this is a no halt e-way right? Where exactly do you safely halt?

I started reduction immediately without waiting.
There was hardly any difference in those few minutes in other tyres.

This is indeed a no-halt expressway like any other. The only places to stop safely would be the Fuel Pumps on way whose locations are unknown to public.

However, one can definitely stop on shoulder for emergency situations with respective indications with precautions and call upon emergency numbers if any help needed giving them milestone reading. The emergency number boards are aplenty and one should note it down.

One number I remember is 8181818155. There is another 1800... one also which I don't remember and I could not click the board photo. However, it should be there on Samruddhi portal.

There are a few Bridges Over Expressway for Wildlife crossings .
In the scorching summer, or otherwise, without knowing where the Fuel Pumps are exactly, they are the only places with small shadow good enough for only a couple of vehicles at most or as I saw a single truck.

I had stopped on shoulder under one of these bridges shadow as per the log with emergency triangle and indicators turned on. Intermittent traffic truly respected and 3rd lane traffic moved to middle lane when they could see my emergency indications. Add to that the road had very little traffic leaving the expressway to me literally all through. Must have been my lucky day, otherwise I feel it must be seeing heavy traffic over the weekend or special days.

[vivek95]

Today's ABP Marathi news mentions about opening up of Shirdi--Bharvir 80 km stretch of Samruddhi Mahamarg on 26th May 2023.
Entire phase 2 from Shirdi to Mumbai (Amane near Thane) is expected to open up before next year October 2024.



Read here :- https://www.google.com/amp/s/marathi...23-1178019/amp

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by Stribog

Where exactly do you safely halt?

You can stop in one of the petrol pumps enroute. There are about 5 or 6 on either side.

News article on last phase

That's not the last phase, just a 13 km stretch around Igatpuri. There are 16 packages.

[Stribog]

Thanks Parsh.

@ Mr Narayan, good news for all I guess, 26th the Hon CM will open another 80 kms. That will mean around 120 km from Thane to Shirdi still remains to be done.

[BoltThrower]

Originally Posted by vivek95

Today's ABP Marathi news mentions about opening up of Shirdi--Bharvir 80 km stretch of Samruddhi Mahamarg on 26th May 2023.
Entire phase 2 from Shirdi to Mumbai (Amane near Thane) is expected to open up before next year October 2024.

Attachment 2454245

Read here :- https://www.google.com/amp/s/marathi...23-1178019/amp

I'm driving from Aurangabad to Mumbai on the 26th of May itself. Will verify this and update.

[Piyush_DT]

Originally Posted by Stribog

Hey, am doing the Pench run from Mumbai on Thu.

If I read this right,

1) there is one petrol pump just before the start of the e-way in Shirdi? The IOC one but there is one around midway?

2) when you say you halted for tyre pressure, in the 10 mins did you notice any good reduction in the same? Also this is a no halt e-way right? Where exactly do you safely halt?

Two of my friends went to Pune last weekend via Samruddhi and both the petrol station ran out of the fuel. They made sure to fill the tank full before traveling but still were on low fuel. They were forced to limit their speed to 60 Km/Hr to get the mileage to reach Shirdi. Hence, don't be dependent on the fuel station for a refill and drive accordingly.

[vivek95]

Originally Posted by BoltThrower

I'm driving from Aurangabad to Mumbai on the 26th of May itself. Will verify this and update.

Thanks, waiting for your update I have an off from my hospital duty on 26th itself. I have been waiting for Bharvir--Shirdi stretch to open up so that I can try it and have Shirdi darshan at the same time.

Sorry for off topic -- On 26th May, I am keen about another most awaited dream road that is slated to open up in Mumbai - the much hyped 22 km long sealink -- MTHL ( Mumbai Transharbour Link). It's all over the news. But I think only the sealink per se (16.5kms) will be thrown open for traffic, may be the connecting ramps to Eastern Freeway are yet under construction and a few months away for entire 22 kms to become operational. Will try and see if I can wander around whole day driving, trying Bharvir-Shirdi as well as Mumbai Transharbour link

Edit :- MTHL will be open for public from November. On May 24th, a symbolic drive will be carried out by MTHL engineers, a bus for the same will be flagged off by CM. Some earlier news articles were misleading, my bad.

[Stribog]

Originally Posted by Piyush_DT

Two of my friends went to Pune last weekend via Samruddhi and both the petrol station ran out of the fuel. They made sure to fill the tank full before traveling but still were on low fuel. They were forced to limit their speed to 60 Km/Hr to get the mileage to reach Shirdi. Hence, don't be dependent on the fuel station for a refill and drive accordingly.

Oh absolutely not. In general I have range anxiety lol. Diesel top up has to happen when the tank reached 1/2 tank.

Full tank gives me a range of 800 kms, I will top up outside Shirdi so that will give me 300 kms spare easy. Ditto on my return.