The committee cleared the ₹17,036 crore Gaimukh–Fountain Hotel tunnel and Fountain Hotel–Bhayandar elevated road project. It also approved metro expansion projects worth ₹5,575 crore for Navi Mumbai Metro Line 1A and Line 2 extensions. These initiatives are aimed at decongesting critical traffic corridors and improving mobility across key urban and suburban zones of the region.
During the meeting held at Mantralaya, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated that the approved projects would significantly enhance mobility across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and provide faster, more efficient transport options for daily commuters. The proposed infrastructure is expected to strengthen intercity and intracity connectivity across major destinations including Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli, Nashik, Panvel, and National Highway 48.
The road infrastructure project includes a 5.86-kilometre six-lane tunnel between Gaimukh and Fountain Hotel, constructed using Tunnel Boring Machine technology with a diameter of 14 metres. It also comprises a 9.58-kilometre six-lane elevated corridor connecting Fountain Hotel to Bhayandar. The entire corridor is scheduled for completion within five years and is designed to support vehicular speeds of up to 100 kilometres per hour.
Officials confirmed that the elevated corridor, planned parallel to Vasai Creek, will provide a high-speed alternative route for traffic moving toward Thane and Gujarat. Authorities expect the project to significantly reduce congestion on Ghodbunder Road by diverting long-distance and heavy vehicular traffic away from existing bottlenecks.
The project will be executed under the Build-Operate-Transfer model through a public-private partnership framework. Financial support will be provided jointly by the Central Government and the State Government through Viability Gap Funding. The committee also approved the appointment of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority as the Special Planning Authority for the project region.
In a parallel decision, the committee approved the expansion of Navi Mumbai Metro Line 1A, connecting Sagar Sangam and CBD Belapur, and Metro Line 2, linking Pendhar with the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport. The expansion is being implemented by the City and Industrial Development Corporation and will establish a continuous 28-kilometre metro corridor from Sagar Sangam to the international airport.
The metro project will include two stations on Line 1A and eleven stations on Line 2. Once operational, the expanded network is projected to serve nearly 1.2 million passengers daily, offering seamless connectivity across Navi Mumbai and significantly improving access to the upcoming international airport.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, along with senior ministers and top government officials, underscoring the administrative priority accorded to large-scale infrastructure development in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
About The Author
Comment List