To decongest SoBo, MMRDA plans to develop Wadala Truck Terminal

Transport offices will be moved to new facility

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority(MMRDA) has planned to develop the Wadala Truck Terminal to decongest South Mumbai by shifting the existing transport companies’ offices and godowns, currently located at the B and C wards in South Mumbai, causing traffic congestion. The truck terminal being developed by the MMRDA at Wadala will have, for the first time, a centralized facility for the transport of goods by road.

Officials said this development would help rationalize the movement of truck traffic on the city roads. “This is designed for a peak capacity of 3,000 trucks at a time. The truck terminal will have offices and godowns of transport companies, easy loading and unloading facilities, related facilities like banks, restaurants and dormitories for essential staff and motor spare part shops,” said an MMRDA official.

In order to ensure proper regulation and management of this new truck terminal, legislation to set up the Truck Terminal Authority has been enacted by the state government.

The area is being developed in four phases. The first phase, on about 25 hectares of land, has been provided with all the basic infrastructural facilities and the construction of nine buildings accommodating the Regional Transport Office, godowns and offices are underway.

“The construction work of the amenity building (office space allotted under the project), which has provision for a guesthouse, police station, fire station, staff quarters and dormitories for their essential staff is also complete. The work of providing infrastructure facilities in Phase-II has also been planned,” added the official.

Other ongoing projects are upgradation of stormwater drains, street lighting, water supply network and the provision for a sewage treatment plant in Phase 1.

Until now, authorities have issued development permission up to plinth level in one case and above plinth level in two cases.

“The construction of link roads like Wadala-Anik Road and the concretization of the Sion-Koliwada connector road has been completed on this road. The concretization of internal roads in Phase-I (Block-G as per new development plan) is under progress in stages. Authorities have allotted the 92,600sq metre-plot likely to come up at the said block at Wadala Truck Terminal,” added the official.

As a Special Planning Authority, MMRDA is in the process of issuing development permissions in the notified area. This division looks after the development proposals and issuing of commencement certificates only for Phase I of WTT.