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Mumbai, Nov 24 (IANS) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday announced a comprehensive plan to make Mumbai “traffic free” over the next three years by building a network of underground tunnels and parallel roads.
The Chief Minister, during the Bharatiya Janata Party’s ‘Youth Connect’ dialogue programme, described the city’s upcoming underground road system as ‘paatal lok’ (underworld) and said it would permanently reduce the commuter crowd.
Fadnavis said the government has a comprehensive plan to build a network of tunnels and parallel routes across the city along with long-closed roads, which will relieve pressure on the existing arteries. He affirmed that the construction of this system of underground corridors will free Mumbai from long-term traffic jams in the coming years.
The Chief Minister pointed out that about 60 per cent of Mumbai’s traffic load currently runs on the Western Express Highway, and reducing this burden is crucial for any viable solution.
To address this, he said, parallel roads are being built, with new corridors being designed to allow vehicle speeds up to 80 kmph, which will significantly reduce bottlenecks, while the current average speed is around 20 kmph, which reduces to 15 kmph during peak hours in the city.
Fadnavis said that while an underground tunnel is currently under construction between Thane and Borivali, another tunnel is planned between Mulund and Goregaon to significantly boost east-west connectivity in Mumbai.
“A new road is being constructed parallel to the Western Express Highway between Borivali and Goregaon, while a bridge is being built from Worli to Sewri to connect directly to Atal Setu, which will allow people from the suburbs to reach Navi Mumbai International Airport through the coastal road,” he said.
On the eastern side, the CM said, a tunnel is being constructed from the point where the Eastern Freeway ends, with the target being to complete it within three years. “This underground extension will run up to Girgaon Chowpatty and is expected to reduce congestion in south Mumbai,” he said.
Fadnavis further said that to relieve the traffic, another tunnel is being developed from the Bandra-Worli Sea Link towards Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), which will be extended to the airport.
“This extension will reduce the travel time from South Mumbai to the airport by a maximum of 20 minutes,” he claimed.
The Chief Minister said the ambitious infrastructure project aims to transform Mumbai’s transportation landscape and provide long-term relief from the city’s notorious traffic problems within the next three years.
–IANS
SJ/SNJ/SKP