Maharashtra Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde said the estimated cost of the project is Rs 11,235.43 crore
The Rs 11,235 crore project includes tunnels under the SGNP. File pic/Satej Shinde
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) will construct an underground road connecting Borivli to Thane city, and once completed, it will considerably reduce the commuting time between the two locations, Maharashtra Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde said on Thursday.
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In a statement, he said the estimated cost of the project is Rs 11,235.43 crore and two tunnels connecting Thane and Borivli will make travel between them faster for commuters and also help in reducing traffic congestion on the busy Ghodbunder Road.
The current 60-minute travel time between Thane and Borivli will be cut to just 15 to 20 minutes and the project will also lead to a reduction of 10.5 lakh metric tonnes of fuel, the minister said.
The project, which is scheduled to begin in March 2022, is expected to take five-and-a-half years to complete, the minister said.
The route will feature an 11.8-km-long road and two 10.25-km-long three-lane tunnels to be built beneath the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, the statement said.
Considering the tunnels will pass through the SGNP, the state-run MSRDC has taken special precautions to avoid harm to the park’s biodiversity by using tunnel boring machinery to avoid upsetting animals and flora, the minister said.
The Thane-Borivli tunnels would necessitate the acquisition of 16.54 hectares of private land and 40.46 hectares of land within the SGNP.
The initiative will contribute to a 36 per cent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions and assist in the maintenance of environmental balance, the minister said.
Shinde said, “The detailed project report (DPR) for the Thane-Borivli subterranean tunnel has been completed, and land acquisition work has started. We’ve taken extra care as this tunnel will pass through Sanjay Gandhi National Park, and we’ll be using tunnel boring technology to avoid disrupting the park’s biodiversity.” The project is excluded from the need for environmental clearances, he said.
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