Mumbai’s daily commuters may soon get respite from one of the city’s worst traffic choke points, as the Maharashtra government has cleared a proposal to relocate the Dahisar Toll Plaza. The facility, currently situated at the entrance of Mira-Bhayandar on the Mumbai–Ahmedabad Highway, will be shifted nearly two kilometres ahead to a site near Versova Bridge.
The move, timed ahead of the festive season, is expected to ease travel for thousands of motorists who face long waits and mounting frustration at the present toll location. Officials confirmed that the relocation plan has been forwarded by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation to the National Highway Authority for approval, with final clearance required from the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Once sanctioned, the shifting process could be completed within six weeks. The Dahisar Toll Plaza has long been flagged as a major traffic bottleneck. Officials noted that the plaza, in its current location, regularly causes snarls lasting 30 to 60 minutes, impacting more than 1.5 million residents of Mira-Bhayandar, Dahisar, Thane and surrounding regions. The congestion has led not only to commuter stress but also to significant environmental costs in the form of wasted fuel and heightened vehicular emissions.
Transport authorities argue that the relocation is both a commuter convenience measure and a climate-conscious step. With vehicles idling for prolonged periods at the toll, carbon emissions have been disproportionately high. By moving the plaza further along the corridor, traffic flow is expected to improve considerably, reducing unnecessary fuel consumption and curbing pollution levels. The proposal was finalised at a recent high-level review meeting of the state government. Senior officials representing the transport department, state infrastructure agencies, highway authorities and the police emphasised that shifting the toll would ease congestion not just on the Mumbai–Ahmedabad stretch but also across the wider Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
For commuters, the toll plaza has been more than an irritant; it has disrupted access to Mumbai’s road networks and slowed down economic activity across the fast-growing Mira-Bhayandar belt. Experts suggest that smoother travel through the corridor will benefit both passenger and freight movement, offering long-term gains to the regional economy. The state has in recent years moved towards rationalising tolling practices, abolishing smaller tolls and exempting private cars from some charges. Relocating Dahisar Toll Plaza continues that policy trajectory, signalling an intent to balance infrastructure financing with the broader public good.
While the plan awaits central approval, many residents and commuters are viewing the move as a long overdue correction. The coming months will reveal whether this long-standing urban inconvenience finally gives way to smoother, more sustainable travel across north Mumbai.
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