Mumbai: The Maharashtra government’s Cabinet sub-committee for infrastructure has given boost to four major infrastructure projects worth Rs 5,200 crore. The projects include the Thane-Ghodbunder elevated road, a third bridge on Sion-Panvel highway, widening and elevated road on Bhiwandi-Kalyan-Shilphata highway, and augmentation of the Mumbai-Pune expressway. The committee has approved pending works for these major projects.
The 4.4-km-long elevated road connecting Thane and Ghodbunder would decongest the traffic and cost around Rs 667.37 crore. The Cabinet sub-committee has given approval to the project this weekend. “The road will be constructed on design-finance-build-operate-transfer basis and the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation will be the nodal agency to carry out the project,” said an official on the panel.
The Bhiwandi-Kalyan-Shilphata highway will cost around Rs 389.63 crore and the committee has said that a policy for toll would be worked out, which will be applicable till 2036. The highway will connect Kalyan with the Mumbai-Pune Highway at Shilphata and the Mumbai-Nashik Highway at Bhiwandi. The government is also planning a new township in Kalyan for which the road will be a major boost.
Intending to connect Mumbai and Navi Mumbai better, a third bridge has been planned on Thane creek. The first bridge with two lanes was opened in 1973 and then another bridge with six lanes was constructed, in 1997. Considering the traffic jams and increase in number of vehicles, the government has decided to build another bridge. The total cost of the project is of Rs 775 crore, the official said.
The committee has approved setting up a special purpose vehicle for the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. The augmentation will include converting the road into 14 lanes from the current 10 lanes between Mumbai and Pune, which will cost around Rs 3,400 crore. The travel time will reduce by 20 minutes for those traveling between the two cities, the official added.
