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My experience & Tips for first time drivers on the Samruddhi Mahamarg

16th January 2025, 18:36 by Kanad Kalasur

Engineering marvel and can get you to Nagpur and from Nagpur in little time.

BHPian ambivalent_98 recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Just drove on Samruddhi Mahamarg last week -

Pros-
1) Engineering marvel and can get you to Nagpur and from Nagpur in little time.
2) Amazing sights along the way.
3) Effective stray cattle protection and holding well so far. Didn't see a single dead dog or other roadkill.

Cons -
1) Surface at places does pose a challenge to tyres. At higher speeds it takes quite a toll on the tyres.
2) Lots of tyre fragments lying all along the highway as re-tread truck tyres peel off.
3) Zero Safety Patrol vehicles of any type.
4) LArge patches of road without mobile connectivity.
5) Emptiness of road and generally just sitting idle controlling the steering wheel makes the mind wander and makes one feels drowsy / sleepy.
6) Very few fuel stops on the way and very very poor cafeteria / eateries enroute. No branded chain restaurants at all. They will see a decent traffic considering the number of users on the E-way.
7) New drivers with newer cars tend to drive fast causing tyres bursts or punctures. Saw lots of those enroute.
8) Poor driving etiquette causes lots of incidents and the higher the speed the more severe it gets.

For first time travellers -
1) Drive slowly and less than or equal to 100 kph if your car goes that far , but this is a safe speed and it is not a race track.
2) Carry plenty of food and water as the food facilities are pathetic.
3) Make it a point to pause for a few minutes after an hour of driving. This has to be done as there is nothing else to keep your mind distracted. Not a single advertisement board of any sort.
4) Keep spare tyre prepped and ready in case you encounter a puncture.
5) Finally, tank up before you get on the E-way as you will end up on a sticky situation since petrol stations are places approx 100 kms apart.
Good luck and have a safe drive.

Here's what BHPian somersault had to add to the conversation:

Drove on the Samruddhi Highway on 7th from Mumbai to Nagpur and on 10th from Nagpur to Mumbai. My observations of the highway.
Good things -
1. Reduces the time considerably. Straight line drive. So lesser fatigue to the mind to check for other vehicles.
2. Can drive with Cruise control for the complete journey. I used cruise with 118 KMPH setting.
3. Road surface is generally good. Tires need to be big and with high ratings to drive safely.
Things to watch -
1. Road kills at night and the dead animals on the road
2. Highway Hypnosis. Specially with cruise control. Take a compulsory break every 2 hours to reduce fatigue.
3. Risky for single person journey from the point of highway fatigue.
4. Saw many vehicles with punctures and people replacing tires on the shoulder. This is definitely a tire maintenance issue.
Things to consider for planning -
1. Plan the petrol pumps visits. Make the tank full at Padgha or Igatpuri when driving from Mumbai to Nagpur. Make another tank full at around Jalna and then another one around Buti Bori. For return, full tank at Sindi next to Nagpur then around Aurangabad area and then in Kasara / Shahapur.
2. No proper food malls but now small BP or IOC branded snacks/chai shops are coming up at the petrol pumps. You can get Misal Pav, Pav bhaji, lassi, chaas etc at those places.
3. At 3 petrol pumps air compressors were not working. Please carry your own portable air compressor. Since the network on the highway is limited, carry your own air inflator for tubeless tires.
4. Google maps behaves erratically due to network issues. It is best to download map before the start of the journey.
Notes -
Saw just one accident on the way. Otherwise safe and peaceful journey. Saw couple of police vans at the medians with speed guns measuring speeds.
Summary - Overall a great way to travel if your car and tires can support.