Driving on the amazing Samruddhi Expressway: Key points to be aware of

Watch out for the lanes going into the service area, they have been blocked with concrete and you see it very late in the night.

BHPian Meer recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I did the Pune - Nagpur last night, followed Pune - Aurangabad - Nagpur route. Started from a friend's place after Khadakwasla lake at 11:10 PM and reached Nagpur 8:25 AM this morning, around 1 hour total stops including snacks, bio breaks and fueling.

Key feedback points

1. As per suggestion from the group in this thread, I put the Harsul Sawangi Interchange as an interim point, but thankfully google maps took me through the Maliwada Interchange near Fatiyabad. So after you cross Waluj industrial estate, you need to take left onto Dhule - Mumbai Highway (usually you take a right for the new Aurangabad bypass at the same place). Around 15 kms after this turn, you see enough sign boards for the Samruddhi expressway. I fueled just before and confirmed the route as well with the fuel guy.
2. Pune traffic was almost minimal at this time, some traffic at FC road and then at the signals was all. The road is patched up and also very undulating, so keep the speeds in check.
3. Another lovely surprise was the Ahmednagar flyover was ready, google still asked me to go from below but I took a chance, it was a breeze, amazing work done, avoids the entire slow stretch through the main city.
4. I cannot sing enough praises about the Samruddhi expressway, amazing work, minimal turns, good banking provided, very well lit as also lane markings at some places with lights. Only fly in the ointment is no utility on the way, nothing at all at night particularly, some petrol bunks looked operational. Watch out for the lanes going into the service area, they have been blocked with concrete and you see it very late in the night time. So take it slow if you are exploring these lanes.
5. Animals - this was my biggest worry having read so many news items and updates on Team-bhp. I encountered a few dogs but they did not cross or come closer. But I did see remnants of dead animals, hope the animal overpasses work well.
6. You can easily do this stretch in less than 4 hours. I put the cruise control at 118 km/h and hardly had to disengage. Traffic was minimal - maybe encountered 60-70 vehicles in all in my direction. Watch out for trucks, some drivers seem to be drowsy as they were not driving straight. They drive in the middle lane and you need to be careful with the overtaking. The Cruise control is deceiving as you realise your speed as you get closer to the vehicle to pass.
7. Fastag - could not read from the overhead scanner on both sides, the guy had to use the handheld, he said some issues with the reader.
8. I finally took the car out of cruise control midway, it just lulls you, especially at night. Be very careful if you are taking this route at the night. Also, advisable to come into the centre lane as soon as you finish overtaking, gives you a good buffer on both sides in case of any issues.
9. There is a small stretch of around 8-10 kms which is not ready on one side (Near Sindkhed Raja I believe). It does come abruptly, so watch out. I did some stretch of Samruddhi Mahamarg in July this year and did not believe it could be opened so quickly looking at the state of the work then, so great job! Overall 120 km speed limit for cars consistently except for this diversion.
10. Final words, the Expressway is super work of engineering, well thought out. It is a great template for future roads. There may be a few gremlins, but these are minor when compared to what it achieves. Now if the Pune - Aurangabad connector road is ready soon, the biggest pain with respect to traffic is exiting / entering Pune!

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.