Maharashtra Government Proposes To Shift Dahisar Toll Plaza Near Versova Bridge Ahead Of Diwali
Located at the entrance of the Mira-Bhayandar region, Dahisar Toll Naka is a major bottleneck for motorists using the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway.
The Maharashtra government has proposed to move Dahisar Toll Plaza to about two kilometers away to a location near the nursery close to Versova Bridge, ahead of the Diwali festival, as per reports. The entire relocation will likely take about 1 to 1.5 months.
The Dahisar Toll Plaza, located at the entrance of the Mira-Bhayandar region is a major bottleneck for motorists using the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway and also for those in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, especially Mira-Bhayandar.
This comes amid concerns over severe traffic congestion and excessive fuel wastage that are being faced by residents and daily commuters due to the toll’s current location.
The proposal was approved at a review meeting chaired by Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation Eknath Shinde on Tuesday.
The meeting was attended by Dahisar MLA Prakash Surve, Manoj Jindal (Deputy Managing Director, Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation), Suhas Chitnis (National Highway Authority official), Police Commissioner Niket Kaushik (Vasai-Virar Commissionerate), and IRB contractor Virendra Mhaiskar, along with other senior authorities.
The proposal will now be sent by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation to the National Highway Authority for approval and after clearance from the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the process to shift the toll will begin, according to a media report.
"The existing Dahisar Toll Plaza has been a major bottleneck on the highway, causing massive traffic jams and adding to environmental pollution in the area," state Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik told Times Now.
The situation affects over 1.5 million local residents of Mira-Bhayandar, Dahisar, Thane, vehicle owners, and passengers traveling towards Mumbai, who face delays of 30 to 60 minutes, along with unnecessary fuel consumption.
"Under the leadership of CM Eknath Shinde, several tolls in the state were previously abolished, and smaller vehicles were exempted from toll charges. The same proactive approach is now being extended to the Dahisar Toll issue, which falls within the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation jurisdiction," Sarnaik added.
