Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday attended the final blast for 'daylighting' of one of two tunnels of the Airoli-Katai Naka road project that is being constructed beneath the Parsik Hills in Thane district.
The left side tunnel is now complete and the right side will be completed soon, MMRDA Commissioner SVR Srinivas said.
Daylighting is the engineering term used when a tunnel is complete and open from both sides.
"Hon. CM Shri @mieknathshinde ji switched on blast for tunnel breakthrough.
"Shri SVR Srinivas, IAS, Metropolitan Commissioner , MMRDA & MP Shri @DrSEShinde ji were present," the MMRDA tweeted.
The Airoli-Katai Naka project comprises two tunnels being built as per the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM), an on-ground road stretch and an elevated corridor, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority officials helming the work said.
How Airoli-Katai Naka project will help commuters
"The blast was a controlled one. Some 67 per cent of the overall tunnelling work is complete. The Airol-Katai Naka project will cut the distance between Kalyan-Dombivali and Navi Mumbai by 7 kilometres and will greatly benefit passengers who have to take a long detour from Mahape or Thane," an official said.
It will greatly help residents of Airoli, Navi Mumbai, Mumbra, Kalyan, Dombivli, Thane and Mumbai, and the state government is committed to completing such projects quickly to give relief to motorists and bring about development, said CM Shinde. (With PTI inputs)
