Mumbai: In a major push to improve transportation infrastructure in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), the Maharashtra government has approved projects worth ₹22,611 crore aimed at reducing traffic congestion and enhancing connectivity across the region.
Committee meeting
The approval was granted at a meeting of the Cabinet Infrastructure Committee chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at Mantralaya on Tuesday. The sanctioned projects include the ₹17,036-crore Gaimukh–Fountain Hotel tunnel and Fountain Hotel–Bhayandar elevated corridor, along with the ₹5,575-crore expansion of Navi Mumbai Metro Lines 1A and 2.
Under the road infrastructure project, a six-lane, 5.86-km underground tunnel will be constructed between Gaimukh and Fountain Hotel on Ghodbunder Road, while a six-lane, 9.58-km elevated corridor will connect Fountain Hotel and Bhayandar. The tunnel, to be built using Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) technology with a diameter of 14 metres, is expected to be completed within five years.
Expected completion
The project is expected to significantly improve connectivity between western Mumbai and key destinations such as Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli, Nashik, Panvel and National Highway-48. The elevated corridor running parallel to Vasai Creek will support vehicle speeds of up to 100 kmph, helping ease congestion on the heavily trafficked Ghodbunder Road.
Officials said the project will divert a substantial volume of traffic, particularly heavy vehicles travelling towards Thane and Gujarat, thereby reducing pressure on existing road networks. The project will be implemented under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model on a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) basis, with viability gap funding from both the Centre and the state government.
Traffic diversion
The Cabinet committee also approved CIDCO’s Navi Mumbai Metro Line 1A extension from Sagar Sangam to CBD Belapur and Metro Line 2 connecting Pendhar with the Navi Mumbai International Airport Terminal-4. Once completed, the metro network will provide a continuous 28-km corridor from Sagar Sangam to the upcoming international airport.
The expansion will add 13 new stations, including two on Metro Line 1A and eleven on Metro Line 2. The state government expects the extended metro network to benefit nearly 12 lakh commuters daily in the future.
Chief Minister Fadnavis expressed confidence that the projects would make transportation in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region faster, smoother and more efficient while supporting the region’s long-term economic growth.
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