Currently, traffic from the Western Express Highway and motorists heading towards Thane, Virar-Vasai and Ahmedabad all converge in a bottleneck on Ghodbunder Road

Over the years, the suburbs of Mira Road and Bhayander have grown exponentially, and now draw a large amount of traffic. Add to this the vehicles heading in from the Western Express Highway and going towards Thane, Virar-Vasai and Ahmedabad — all this traffic currently converges in a bottleneck on Ghodbunder Road, resulting in bumper-to-bumper traffic that can stretch from 45 minutes to an hour.

Poll

Who will win the Punjab Elections?

BJP 32.86%

AAP 41.43%

INC 25.71%

Submit

View All In Poll

Also read: New bridges on Sion-Panvel highway to ease traffic over Thane creek by 2020

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has hit upon a solution to the problem: Constructing a direct route from Hotel Fountain at Ghodbunder to Jesal Park in Bhayander East. This 7-km route will cost over Rs 61 crore to build, but will shave the commute time from an hour to just 10 minutes.

Illustration/Ravi Jadhav

The six-lane road will run parallel to Vasai creek and will service traffic to and from Thane, Virar-Vasai and Ahmedabad. The proposed road will start from the junction of Ghodbunder Road and National Highway 8 (near Hotel Fountain), and the route will pass through Navghar, Tukaram Road and Indralok, finally culminating at Jesal Park in Bhayandar East.

Also read: Thane develops hybrid simulation model for vehicular traffic

Prasad Palav, a resident of Bhayander East, said, "It takes 45 minutes to an hour to cover a distance of 4 to 5 km. MMRDA's plan will help resolve our commuting woes."

Shortcut with long pay-off
An added advantage could be improved connectivity to the BMC's proposed coastal road as well. Earlier this year, the state government had asked the MMRDA to conduct a feasibility study to evaluate whether the coastal road can be connected to Ghodbunder Road at Marve, near Malad.

Also read: Rs 4.29-crore project to give Thane a facelift

The MMRDA issued invitations for tenders yesterday, and the last date for submission of bids is November 20. Dilip Kawatkar, joint project director at MMRDA, said, "We have invited tenders for the road. Once completed, the project will reduce the time it takes to travel between Ghodbunder and Mira-Bhayander."

Eco roadblock
Sources said that the project will require special permission from the coastal authority (MCZMA), as 4 km of the road will pass through the coastal zone. The project will also need the green light from the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), since the road will pass through a patch of mangroves between Jesal Park and Navghar. Chances are that the road will be elevated on stilts in this stretch.

Also view: Bizarre! 8 freak accidents that resulted in death