Thane: Four lanes of Kopri bridge open for commuters

Kopri Bridge which connects Thane and Mumbai

The first phase of the Kopri rail over bridge (ROB) in Thane district was inaugurated on Saturday by Maharashtra PWD Minister Eknath Shinde in the presence of Metropolitan Commissioner MMRDA S. V. R. Srinivas (IAS).

With the opening of the flyover, traffic will be eased on Eastern Express Highway, especially on the Mulund-Thane stretch. It was earlier available with two lanes on each side for traffic. In the last few years, the number of vehicles and the population of both the cities has increased resulting in major traffic issues.

Kopri rail over bridge inauguration

The four-lane Express Highway turns into two lanes on this bridge, leading to a bottle neck. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) in its meeting on October 19, 2016, decided to widen the flyover.

"The construction of flyover started on 24th April 2018. The MMRDA team with the support of Thane Municipal Corporation overcame various challenges to complete this project. This project was undertaken with the aim of easing traffic on the crucial Thane-Mulund stretch and improve the daily commute experience of Mumbaikars travelling between Thane and Mumbai," MMRDA Metropolitan Commissioner, S.V.R. Srinivas said.

Currently, the first phase is completed and now, the traffic from both sides will be diverted on these routes.

The ROB has a length of 796 metres and a width of 65 metres, officials said.