Mumbai: 88 per cent of Airoli-Katai Naka elevated road completed

Work on the 12.30-km-long link between Airoli and Katai Naka, started in November 2017

The Airoli-Katai Naka elevated road is 88 per cent completed while the twin tunnels that also comprise the project are 66 per cent done. The infrastructure project is expected to drastically reduce travel time between Dombivli, Thane and Mumbai. An official of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which is overseeing the construction work, said, "By undertaking crucial infrastructure projects, the MMRDA is reshaping the Mumbai Metropolitan Region."

The twin tunnels that run beneath Parsik Hill

Work on the 12.30-km-long elevated link between Airoli and Katai Naka, started in November 2017. As part of the project, 1.69-km-long, twin tube tunnels with three lanes each are being created beneath Parsik Hill. Once completed, the project will help reduce traffic congestion in Kalyan, Dombivli, Ambarnath and Badlapur. At present, motorists travelling between these places face traffic jams in the morning.

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An MMRDA official said, "Work on both sections is in their vital stages. The elevated road is from Thane Belapur Road to NH4 and the 1,690-metre tunnel road is part of the same project. The Airoli-Katai Naka project is being carried out under the Extended Mumbai Urban Infrastructure Project and the entire project is divided into three phases."

A senior MMRDA official had told mid-day in August that the elevated road would reduce the distance between Kalyan-Dombivli and Navi Mumbai by 7 km and travel time by 15 minutes. The existing road between Airoli and Katai Naka takes 35 to 45 minutes.

1.69
Length of tunnels in km