Maharashtra lines up infra projects for completion

In anticipation of municipal elections due early next year, the Maharashtra government is rushing to complete infrastructure projects in Mumbai and Thane. Within the subsequent few months, six large infrastructure projects—four being constructed by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and two by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)—are achieving completion and are expected to be open for public utility soon. As we have reported earlier, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray flagged off trial runs of Metro 2A (Dahisar to DN Nagar) and Metro 7 (Dahisar East to Andheri East) on Monday. The whole project is worth Rs 12,000 crore. MMRDA commissioner RA Rajeev said that the first phase from Dahanukar to Aarey will be functional from October. In the second phase, the lines connecting DN Nagar to Dahisar and Dahisar to Andheri East will be operative by January 2022. At present, trial runs will be started between Dahanukarwadi to Aarey. Thackeray will also be introducing one arm of the Rajnoli flyover, which will ease traffic congestion at the Rajnoli and Mankoli bypass junctions on the Mumbai Nashik Highway. Two of the four lanes of the Durgadi flyover that supports linking Kalyan and Bhiwandi to Thane and Mumbai will also be introduced on Monday. MMRDA is also planning to complete work on the Kalanagar connector that will ease traffic flow and connect Bandra Kurla Complex to the Western Express Highway by June. The Shiv Sena-managed BMC is also thinking of finishing the 2.1 km long Ghatkopar to Mankhurd flyover by June. BMC is also finishing the work at the Hindmata flyover by increasing the height of the road between the Parel flyover and Hindmata flyover, thereby keeping the entire corridor operating in the monsoon. Image Source Also read: All you need to know about top infra projects in Maharashtra Also read: Big ticket projects in Maharashtra