Mumbai: MMRDA to improve Bhiwandi roads below elevated Metro Line 5

Mumbai: The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) which is the special planning authority in Bhiwandi and is also responsible for road works is planning to better the condition of roads passing below the elevated Metro Line 5 (Thane-Bhiwandi-Kalyan).

“The roads along the elevated Metro Line 5 are in a poor condition. They are ridden with potholes but their condition will soon be improved,” said an MMRDA official who did not wish to be named. The estimated cost of road improvement work is amounting to Rs 72 crore. “The work will be carried out on the stretch between Kaseli toll plaza and Anjurphata,” added the official.

Bhiwandi is a logistic hub with a number of big companies having their warehouses located here. Commuters face major issues, especially during the monsoons, owing to the bad road conditions which also result in traffic jams. Pedestrians too are left with no patch of good road to walk. “The road being repaired also connects to the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) and is used by vehicles carrying goods from warehouses, making it essential to improve its condition,” said the MMRDA official.

The Metro Line 5, comprising 24.9 km, is divided into two phases and has a 2024 target for completion. The Phase 1 work of this Metro line is between Thane and Bhiwandi is elevated and the work is underway. Meanwhile, the Phase 2 work has been stuck due to objections raised by citizens. Following the resistance, the MMRDA has now proposed to make the stretch further from Bhiwandi to Kalyan underground.