Maharashtra: Work on two bridges on Thane Creek to be completed by May, September next year, says PWD minister

Thane Creek Bridge. File Pic/Representational image

The ongoing work on one of the two new bridges coming up on Thane Creek at Vashi in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra will get completed by May 2024 while the second one will be ready a few months later in September, Maharashtra PWD Minister Dada Bhuse said on Friday, according to the PTI.

The two bridges on Thane Creek, with three lanes each, are coming up on either side of the current structure, which is heavily patronised and was the second to be built on the creek in 1995 after the first one in 1971, he said, reported the PTI.

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"After both the new bridges are ready, there will 12 lanes in all, which will give great relief to ever increasing traffic," Dada Bhuse said after inspecting the site and progress of work.

The traffic between Navi Mumbai and Mumbai keeps increasing, and the widening of the Sion Panvel highway, an arterial route between the two cities, has made the second Thane Creek Bridge (TCB2) a bottleneck, a Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation official said, as per the PTI.

"The Thane Creek Bridge 3 coming up now is 57 per cent complete. It is 3.147 kilometres in length and is being built at a cost of Rs 755.55 crore," he added.

Meanwhile, the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has carried out a demolition drive to remove unauthorized shanties situated along the banks of Kalwa Creek. The action was taken to address the issue of numerous unauthorized structures hindering the development of the creek area and contributing to the erosion of the creek shore.

"Since the creek shore is being washed away day by day, the possibility of causing great damage at this place in the future cannot be ruled out," the TMC said.

"The action was taken on Thursday (August 24) on the unauthorised shanties situated on the Kalwa Creek as per the order of the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) commissioner Abhijit Bangar," the civic body said.

Around 65 to 70 huts were demolished during the operation in Kranti Nagar, Kalwa. The drive involved the participation of various officials, including TMC Deputy Commissioner Shankar Patole, Thane Zone-1 Deputy Commissioner Ganesh Gawde, and Assistant Commissioner of Naupada Kopri Ward Committee Sopan Bhaik. Police personnel were also present to ensure the operation proceeded smoothly.

(with PTI inputs)