Mumbai: A 380-metre long subway will be constructed at Nariman Point. It will extend from Mantralaya, New Administrative Building, to Vidhan Bhavan, so that government staff and public can directly access the nearby Metro-III Vidhan Bhavan station.
The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRCL), the nodal agency looking after Metro-III construction, shared this information on Wednesday on its twitter handle.
The project will cost about Rs 99.8 crore and the work is expected to be completed within nine months from the start of civil work.
The Metro-III authority says that the rationale behind the subway connectivity is to reduce congestion on regular roads, especially on weekdays, and also provide employees and public with an easy transit.
As per MMRCL’s plan, a restricted passage will be made available for exclusive use of various government department employees, so that they can easily move between buildings.
There will be a separate passage for general public visiting these offices, so that they can access the Metro station. Besides, a parking facility for 700 vehicles will be made available on Mantralaya premises, which is afflicted with a parking menace.
There is a scramble to visit these offices for various works on week days. The Free Press Journal had recently reported that the MMRCL was planning to provide access to its Metro station unpaid concourse area (where tickets can be purchased) through subways.
Developers interested in direct access subways will bear construction cost of the project and look after its maintenance, including payment of premium money (one-time direct access charge of Rs 2 crore).
Commuters will benefit in terms of safe and comfortable access through subways to the Metro station, which will also ensure avoidance of vehicular traffic and vagaries of weather.
