The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), the consultant for the Metro projects around the city, has suggested that the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), in a detailed project report (DPR), extend the D.N. Nagar to Mankhurd Metro-2B corridor up to Mandala, which means an extension of 1.3 km approximately, according to the current plan.
The DN Nagar-Mankhurd Metro corridor is a part of the Metro 2 (Dahisar-Charkop—Bandra-Mankhurd), which was earlier planned underground, but was later turned into an elevated corridor. The line was also divided into three parts namely Dahisar-DN Nagar, DN Nagar-BKC (Bandra Kurla Complex) and BKC-Mankhurd.
The DPR stated, “Mumbai is the commercial capital of India and its fastest growth especially in the suburbs is causing heavy stress on all infrastructures. The existing transport infrastructure has been over loaded. Also, the number of private vehicles is increasing in the city. Hence, it is proposed to extend of the corridor up to Manadala, which is approximately 1.3 km away from the current proposed Mankhurd Metro station.”
The phase-1 of the Dahisar-Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd corridor, which is 18.5-km-long, is from Dahisar to DN Nagar and DMRC and MMRDA have already signed an agreement for it, declaring DMRC as the implementing agency by the MMRDA.
“MMRDA will conduct a meeting with the DMRC somewhere around the month end where we will scrutinise the DPR once again and plan and make a strategy on how to implement the Metro-2B corridor. Also, we will study on the extension up to Mandala as it is a minor extension of 1.3 km,” said Sanjay Sethi, additional metropolitan commissioner, MMRDA. The tenders for the civil work of the project will be floated soon in the coming month after the decision on the extension is concluded,” said an MMRDA official.
Meanwhile, MMRDA last week invited e-tenders for designing and constructing elevated bridges and 16 stations for the Andheri (East) to Dahisar (East) Metro-7 line.
“As DMRC is going to play a major role in building Metro projects in the city. We will soon have an office set up the DMRC officials in the MMRDA building,”said an MMRDA official.
