Mumbai: Kopri ROB on Eastern Express Highway to open in 3 months

This project also includes construction of two underpasses, one at Anand Nagar and other, opposite Dnyansadhana college

There is good news for motorists who get stuck in traffic on Eastern Express Highway near Kopri in Thane. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) plans to open Kopri ROB in the next three months. Talking to mid-day, Metropolitan Commissioner, SVR Srinivas said, "Eastern Express Highway commuters will soon get relief. The ongoing work of Kopri ROB on the highway is progressing at a fast pace.

A few days ago, major girders were successfully installed. This phase is part of upgrading 2+2 lane bridge to 4+4 which will help decongest traffic. With 85 per cent work done, the project will be completed in the next three months." Last year in October, first phase of the flyover crossing the railway track at Kopri, Thane was inaugurated.

Because of the opening of the first phase, traffic issues on Eastern Express Highway, mostly within the stretch from Mulund to Thane was partly eased out with the flyover being used. Second phase of the work was started in January 2022. It may be noted, that the ROB, was earlier available with two lanes on each side for traffic. But in the last few years, the number of vehicles and the population of both the cities increased and that resulted in major traffic issues around this flyover.

Also Read: Are miscreants keeping tiger in Navi Mumbai rumours alive?

The four lane express highway became two lane on the flyover and it created a bottleneck for the traffic. MMRDA in its meeting dated October 19, 2016, decided to undertake widening of the flyover. The widening work of the railway flyover at Kopri was undertaken in two stages. In the first stage, it was decided to construct two cross over bridges on both sides of the flyover, the traffic was supposed to be divided on these flyovers, then the actual flyover was supposed to be collapsed and four lane flyover was to be constructed instead.

The actual flyover going above the railway tracks will be made in structural steel. It will be constructed by railway with funding from MMRDA. The access road to the actual flyover will be constructed by MMRDA in cement concrete. Construction of the flyover started on April 24, 2018. The MMRDA team, with the support of, Thane Municipal Corporation, overcame various challenges to complete this project.

Undertaken with the aim of easing traffic on the crucial Thane-Mulund stretch, the project also looks at improvement of the daily commute experience of Mumbaikars travelling between Thane and Mumbai. The total length of the flyover being newly constructed is 796 meter and the length of the flyover over the railway is 65 meter.

It's height from the railway track is 6.525 metres. The width on both sides for four lanes is 37.4 metres. This project also includes construction of two underpasses, one at Anand Nagar and the other is opposite Dnyansadhana College. There is also the construction of Chikhalwadi Nalla and reconstruction of public footover bridge included in the total project work.