The long-pending plan to relocate the Dahisar toll plaza on the Mumbai–Ahmedabad highway has stalled once again, with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) asking the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) to submit a detailed and technically complete proposal before any decision can be taken.
According to sources, NHAI recently wrote to the state agency pointing out that the existing submission lacked site specifications and engineering clarity. The proposal, which seeks to move the Dahisar toll northward along National Highway 48, would need to comply with the mandatory rule of maintaining at least 60 kilometres between two toll plazas — a condition that complicates relocation since the next plaza at Khaniwade in Virar already falls within that range. The MSRDC, in response, has written back to NHAI seeking its guidance in identifying a feasible new site. The state corporation has requested the highway authority to indicate a technically and operationally suitable location within the Vasai–Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC) jurisdiction, where the toll could be shifted without violating national road distance norms.
Officials said that while the move aims to decongest the Dahisar checkpost — a major entry point into Mumbai — the absence of a clear alternative site has kept the project in “limbo” for months. The Dahisar toll plaza, part of the Mumbai–Ahmedabad corridor, has long been criticised by motorists and urban planners for creating severe traffic bottlenecks, especially during peak hours. In late September, NHAI formally communicated its concerns to MSRDC after receiving the initial relocation proposal, which lacked engineering drawings, traffic flow estimates, or land acquisition details. A senior highway official explained that without these inputs, any movement of toll infrastructure would risk regulatory non-compliance and potential disruption to highway operations.
Local representatives and civic bodies have also expressed divergent views on the relocation. Some have suggested utilising the old octroi naka land, spread across nearly 16,000 to 20,000 square metres, as a temporary site until a long-term plan is finalised. They argue that shifting the toll to this vacant government land could ease congestion while keeping toll collection operational for heavy vehicles. Urban mobility experts, however, stress that toll restructuring should be part of a broader sustainable mobility policy. “Short-term relocation cannot solve systemic congestion unless supported by integrated traffic planning and electronic tolling measures,” an expert on urban transport policy said.
For now, the project remains at a planning crossroads. The final decision will depend on NHAI’s approval of a detailed feasibility report that meets national road safety and operational guidelines.
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