MMRDA drops plans for MTHL metro corridor

Despite claims that metro corridors cater to a larger number of commuters, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has dropped plans to have a metro corridor on or running parallel to the proposed Sewri-Nhava Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link (MTHL).

This means that the route will now be accessible only to private vehicles. Public transport buses too may use the bridge, if planned.

During a media briefing on Monday, Pravin Darade, additional metropolitan commissioner, MMRDA, said, “Once the Dahisar east- Andheri east Metro-7 corridor is started, it will carry as many motorists as a highway with 50-car lanes.” Asked why the metro corridor plan was dropped, he said, “It was never a plan in my knowledge, but it could be an idea that is not on the cards for now”.

On ground, MMRDA in 2010 had prepared a detailed project report (DPR) through RITES Limited named Mumbai Trans-harbour Metro Rail Link, a 49km corridor between Prabhadevi and Dushmi which is 20km away from Chirle where MTHL ends. The motive behind having an MTHL metro was to encourage mass transport and cater to future travel demands while facilitating decongestion of traffic on MTHL.

Meanwhile, pre-qualification bids for the project were floated in May 2016 that did not mention about plans to have metro corridors on the bridge or parallel to it. MTHL is a 22-km-long cable stay bridge and will be the second longest sea-link in the world after the 42-km link between Qingdao and Huandao in China.

Transport expert, Jitendra Gupta, said, “With the upcoming international airport in Navi Mumbai, it was very sensible to have a metro corridor. The state in future will have to plan MTHL metro to decongest traffic on the bridge.”