Pune, March 12: PUBLIC Works Department Minister Anil Deshmukh on Sunday announced that the expressway would be extended from Kalamboli Junction to Sion Circle. This would be the first access control system in the country, he said.

The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has proposed 14-laning of the 33-km Panvel-Sion stretch on BOT basis. Work will begin from March 2007 and be completed within one-and-a-half years at a cost of Rs 2,000 crore, Deshmukh told reporters. The project will not be hit by land-acquisition delays as the land belongs to the government.

In the access control system, the acquired lands are used for planning for the future and fencing is done to avoid encroachments. The system has subways and flyovers at junctions to help pedestrians cross the highway. ‘‘Already a 60-metre strip has been acquired,’’ said MSRDC joint managing director Vilas Karandikar. When the system is implemented, U-turns and crossing the highway is not allowed.

‘‘Out of the 14 lanes, five will be dedicated to traffic, with three for Pune-Mumbai and two for local traffic on each side. The other two lanes will be used for service roads and footpaths,’’ Karandikar said. He said that three flyovers would come up at Kamothe, Santara and Uran junctions.

He added, ‘‘We have called for a global consultant who will study the area which is witnessing rapid urbanisation growth with increasing traffic.’’ The study will continue for four months, after which arrangements on the highway will be decided by the MSRDC, so that it can bear loads up to the year 2025 or 2030. ‘‘For anlaysing the necessity of subways at junctions, a public notice will be published calling for suggestions from people, NGOs and educational institutions,’’ Karandikar said.

The project aims at providing state-of-the-art road facilities in the rapid urbanisation zone of the Navi Mumbai stretch as it is also witnessing a multi-modal commuting activity.