2 years to go, Metro 7 takes first step

First ‘U girder’ — the structures on which tracks will be laid — was placed on WEH for Dahisarandheri line

Early on Wednesday, metro workers placed a 140tonne structure on the western express highway.

Called a U girder, this concrete structure — on which tracks will be laid — is the first of several that will be set up on the highway for the Metro-7 corridor between Andheri (East) and Dahisar (East).

Its installation, with CM Devendra Fadnavis looking on, signals that work on the corridor was well on track, the government said.

When the line was announced, the state said it would be ready by 2019.

The CM has been tracking the progress of three Metro lines that are under-construction. He said, “It is a historic moment for us. With the girder launch, it shows the pace of construction is fast.”

The corridor has been planned along the WEH to connect the western suburbs, train routes of the Western Railway, Metro 1 (Ghatkopar to Versova) and the proposed Metro 6 (Swami Samarth Nagar to Vikhroli).

The line will be complemented by Metro 2A (Dahisar to DN Nagar) and is expected to be used by nine lakh commuters.

Once launched, the service will majorly cut down travel time in the suburbs and reduce the load on roads and the local trains.

“The Metro-7 runs along the WEH and I am sure it will reduce the number of vehicles and reduce the terrible congestion motorists face today. Our deadline is 2019 and I am happy with the speed of work,” Fadnavis said.

UPS Madan, metropolitan commissioner, MMRDA, said, “The corridor will reduce congestion on the suburban trains, giving those commuters muchneeded relief.”

Until the Metros are ready, however, commuters can expect more jams on the already congested WEH.

Between midnight and 5am on Wednesday, a stretch of the highway near Malad was closed to traffic as the girder was placed between Pier 62 and Pier 63 at Pathanwadi.

This led to jams on the northbound carriageway as vehicles had been diverted to the southbound lane.