State public works department sources told The Financial Express on Monday that the decision was necessitated as the preliminary study showed that the project to be developed on the build, operate and transfer basis, was not viable in view of the flow of traffic not exceeding 40,000 vehicles per day and an inadequate collection of toll. The third lane will be extended after the growth of traffic on the revised expressway.

The public works department has appointed Kirloskar Consultants, Stup Consultants, Lea Associates, Frischman Prabhu and Consulting Engineering Serices to do the engineering and financial study for the revised project. The studies will be completed by December this year and the project profile would be made thereafter.Thereafter, the the project will be handed over to the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation, a fully owned corporation.

The state public works department has already started acquisition of 800 hectares for this project. The department also plans to acquire an additional 1,500 hectares for real estate development alongside the expressway by the private sector.

The design speed on the expressway will be 120 km per hour in plain and rolling area and 80 km in hilly areas. It will have 10 major and 12 minor bridges in addition to 24 viaducts and 148 under passes. There will be four tunnel (each with two tubes).

The public works department will offer various financial incentives to the entrepreneurs. These sops include right to collect tolls and retain with entrepreneurs, advertisement rights in the right of way, plantation in right of way, erection of petrol pumps, hotels, motels and car parking near entry and exit point, commercial exploitation of the land in the right of way or air spaceabove.

The entrepreneur will be allowed commercial exploitation of 1,500 hectares which will be offered by the state government near the roadway to make the project immediately viable. Government clearance, environmental clearance and approval from local bodies will be done without delays by the government and all the lands for expressway and commercial exploitation will be made availabale clear of at the nominal release rates to entrepreneurs.

The state government will arrange for shifting and rehabilitation of all the utility services and structures present on the expressway alignment land and land offered for commercial exploitation.

The public works department sources said that the revised project will strengthen the national and international identity of the region as a centre of business. The development will create new jobs, boost industries in the new developed Sinnar industrial estate related to agricultural and consumer goods and also promote tourism due to proximity of tourist resort ofSaputara and spiritual centres like Trimbakeshwar and Vani.