A regular mega block has the answer to ease road traffic movement in parts of Navi Mumbai with Sion – Panvel Highway. The Central Railway and Maha Rail are simultaneously doing two things this weekend, first, demolishing an old foot over the bridge at Turbhe and then widening the existing 2-lane road over the bridge into 4-lane after that.
Two separate mega blocks were carried out especially for upgrading the infrastructure in road connectivity of Navi Mumbai on the Turbhe-Vashi section. The road over the bridge at Turbhe will be widened which will then give more access to the Sion-Panvel Highway for motorists. Over the years, the Trans-harbour network is falling on the Thane-Vashi route has extensively developed and has gained attention from real estate developers as well. That is the reason, vehicle numbers have risen too.
Citing this, the railway authorities are carrying out development works pertaining to this ROB for which they are removing the old FOB there. Engineers in the Central Railway said that on Friday night they removed a 34 meters long girder of the FOB that is between Turbhe and Sanpada stations.
“We will be dismantling another FOB next to this ROB. This will then be used to widen of existing ROB at Turbhe from 2-lane to 4-lane,” said a CR official. For this, three cranes of 800-MT will be used to dismantle and remove the girders which will be carried out by close to 100 railway men from different departments.
The MahaRail is implementing work of widening Turbhe ROB. For the de-launching of FOB, the mega block is from 11.30 pm to till 6 am; a total of 6.30 hrs. The Suburban train services will not be available between Thane and Vashi/Nerul stations during the block period.
Rajesh Kumar Jaiswal, Managing Director, MahaRail informed, “We are in an advanced stage of completing the widening work of this ROB. Once the widening work of the two-lane ROB on each arm is completed it will decongest the traffic of this busy highway. To add aesthetic appeal to the surrounding, a signature lighting theme is planned along with the ROB”.
The approach roads have already been readied. There are three arms to this ROB; the first is 684 meters long ascending from Panvel and descending towards Vashi, the second is 607 meters long that will ascend from Vashi and descend towards Thane and lastly, a 471 meters long arm will ascend from Vashi and descend towards Panvel. Each Arm is of Two Lanes.
