A 100-km corridor, the first of its kind in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, is being planned from Virar to Alibaug. This Rs 12,000-crore connector will have rail and road links and motorists will be able to traverse it from end to end in one hour. The journey currently takes about four hours. The MMRDA has sought the assistance of international consultants to plan the corridor which will have eight lanes and a metro rail link in the centre. The corridor will also have a lane dedicated to the Bus Rapid Transport System and two service lanes, taking the total number of road lanes to ten. MMRDA transportation and communications chief PRK Murthy revealed the agency was pushing hard to ensure the 10-lane corridor took definite shape. It has already invited bids to shortlist consultants. After that, it will take a minimum of six months to prepare a detailed project report, assessing the funding plan and the environmental impact of the project. Bid documents will then be prepared to attract international bidders. Huge open areas along the state highway between Alibaug and Panvel, the one along Taloja railway line up to Kalyan-Dombivli, another open space (that presently belongs to the forest department) between Thane and Virar will be acquired for the project. The computerised graphic of the project primarily designed by MMRDA shows that the corridor will start at Virar on the western seafront and end at Alibaug on the Konkan coast. The cost of development of Metro will be Rs 80-100 crore per km and the cost for the eight-lane highway will be Rs 16 crore per km. The Bus Rapid Transport System will cost Rs 15 crore per km. This puts the cost of the expressway at around Rs 12,000 crore. While the entire stretch of the expressway will be constructed using sections of state and national highways, the MMRDA will also have to build a new road for more than 50% of the length. Murthy said the expressway would start from near Alibaug and pass along Uran to reach Panvel. “It will cross the Mumbai-Pune highway to reach Kalyan-Dombivli. On this stretch, it will pass along the Taloja railway line. After crossing Kalyan-Dombivli, it will hit the Bhiwandi Bypass. From there it will go parallel to Ghodbunder Road to touch Ahmedabad Highway near Virar,’’ he said. The expressway will also prove to be a boon for special economic zone and the international airport projects coming up in Navi Mumbai.
Route Alibaug to Virar via Uran, Panvel, Taloja, Kalyan-Dombivili and Bhiwandi.
Commute Planners estimate it will take 1 hour to cover the 100km-corridor.
It will have 10 lanes.
Estimated cost : Rs 12,000 crore.
It will take 4 to 5 years to complete, and will be developed by MMRDA on a Build, Operate, Own, & Transfer basis with private participation .
Infrastructure :Several small sections of the state and national highways will be used in the development of the corridor More than half the road will be newly developed There will be a metro rail in between the 10 lanes. The bus rapid transport system will also be in place
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