‘Change design to make way for devpt’

MMRDA asks TMC to alter plans of its ambitious projects to make way for extension of Kalwa bridge to Airoli

THANE: The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has suggested some changes to the original designs of some of the ambitious projects at a review meeting held with the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) over the space of various development projects in the city.

The MMRDA has asked the TMC to construct a grade separator to join Kharegaon to Gaimukh Coastal Road and extension of the Kalwa third bridge upto Patni compound in Airoli.

The Kalwa Bridge was earlier planned till Vitawa Subway in Kalwa. The meeting also focussed on speeding up the work of Shilphata Road widening and Kharegaon bypass road.

The review meeting was chaired by RA Rajeev, MMRDA commissioner, and Dr. Vipin Sharma, TMC commissioner, on Wednesday to discuss the status of all the important infrastructure projects in the city.

TMC had recently submitted a DPR of the coastal Road project aimed to ease the congestion along Ghodbunder Road to the MMRDA for approval. A civic official said, “The MMRDA has given us directives to ensure that there is minimal damage to the mangroves at Mogharpada while constructing the coastal road. Moreover, at the point where the road will meet with Ghodbunder Road at Gaimukh Junction, it will create a new bottle neck. To avoid this, MMRDA commissioner has asked us to study the feasibility of a grade separator at this point.”

The work on the third Kalwa bridge is in the final stages. One arm of this flyover is ending at the Vitawa Subway. The officer added, “The subway is narrow and this will lead to congestion at the subway. Moreover, there is no scope to widen the subway as there is a railway track.

The State Housing Minister, also present at the review meeting, demanded that the arm be extended upto Patni Compound in Airoli. Accordingly, we prepared a new design with the extended arm and presented it to the MMRDA.”

The Atmaram Chowk to Kharegaon, a bypass road connecting Thane and Navi Mumbai, is also planned for several years. The heavy vehicles from Thane and Navi Mumbai can use this lane. The review meeting also focussed on speeding up the work for the project.

An officer from MMRDA requesting anonymity said, “We are developing the road from Mumbra to Shil junction, however the entire area has many encroachments. We have requested the TMC to raze these encroachments at the earliest.”

PRAFUL GANGURDE/HT Kalwa creek bridge in Thane.