While the final stretch of the Samruddhi Mahamarg between Igatpuri and Amane near Mumbai was recently inaugurated, motorists trying to access the expressway from its starting point near the Amane interchange are facing confusion. The reason: there are only three signboards between Mulund Toll Plaza and Vadpe along the Mumbai-Nashik Highway (NH-160), making it easy to miss the vital right turn toward the expressway.
During our visit on Friday, mid-day travelled from the Mulund Toll Plaza on the Eastern Express Highway via the Mumbai-Nashik Highway up to Vadpe, from where motorists need to take a right towards the Samruddhi Mahamarg near the Amane toll plaza. This 31-km stretch lacks adequate signage for the expressway.
Motorists coming from Ghodbunder Road must access LBS Marg and take a left below the Kapurbawdi flyover to reach the Mumbai-Nashik Highway. Those arriving via Eastern Express Highway — from South Mumbai, Central Mumbai, or the eastern suburbs — need to travel about 31 km after crossing the Mulund toll plaza before reaching Vadpe, where the turn to the expressway is located.
Sparse signage on the Mumbai-Nashik highway leaves motorists guessing their way. Pic/Ranjeet Jadhav
Once motorists take the right at Vadpe and get onto the Virar-JNPT highway, they must proceed 3 km ahead to reach the Amane interchange and then take a left toward Igatpuri. However, only two signage boards were seen on the 31-km stretch from Mulund to Vadpe, which many drivers say is not nearly enough.
After the turn at Vadpe, the signage improves drastically. Motorists reported seeing ample boards guiding them directly to the Samruddhi starting point. Currently, it takes about 70 minutes to cover the 31 km from Mulund to Vadpe. During peak hours, this can go up by 15–20 minutes.
Prabhu S, a motorist travelling to Nashik, said, “On Friday, I took the Samruddhi route from Mumbai. I noticed only two boards between Mulund and Vadpe. There should be signs every 5–10 km — not just on the sides, but on overhead gantries too — so motorists don’t miss the right turn. Once I made the turn, the route to Samruddhi was well-marked. The 76-km stretch from Amane to Igatpuri was a fantastic drive — I covered it in just an hour.”
The Mumbai-Nashik Highway widening project between Thane and Vadpe (23.05 km) is also under progress. Executed by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), the road is being expanded from four to eight lanes, including new bridges over the Kalwa Creek and Ulhas River.
This work began in October 2021 and was originally expected to finish by October 2023. However, delays due to pending forest department permissions pushed the deadline to February 2025, which too has been missed. The new expected completion date is November 2025, by which time over 75 per cent of the work is anticipated to be completed.
