Virar-Alibaug corridor project on fast track

The clearance of the Navi Mumbai Airport has given a much-awaited boost to a slew of infrastructure projects in Mumbai.

The clearance of the Navi Mumbai Airport has given a much-awaited boost to a slew of infrastructure projects in Mumbai.

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In an attempt to improve connectivity to the new airport, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is now speeding up projects like the 12-lane Virar-Alibaug corridor.

“We are expecting the final techno-economic feasibility study by Louis Berger [the consultants] on the project by March after which we will call for the bids,” said SVR Srinivas, additional metropolitan commissioner.

The MMRDA hopes to start work on the Rs 10,000-crore project by late 2011.

MMRDA officials claim that with the new airport getting clearance, projects like the Virar-Alibaug multi-modal corridor assume significance as they will drastically improve the transport infrastructure in the area.

A multi-modal corridor is a high-speed transport corridor, which integrates roads, metro line, bus, and pedestrian infrastructure close to each other.

Work on the 140-km long corridor will be undertaken in two phases – 90-km from Virar to Panvel (Phase 1) and 50-km from Panvel to Alibaug (Phase 2).

The freeway will start from Virar on National Highway (NH)-18 and end at Alibaug on NH-17 via Bhiwandi, Kalyan, Dombivli and Panvel.

Once the corridor is completed, it would mean the people heading to Alibaug or the New Airport could take a car, bus, or an air-conditioned Metro car from Virar and cover 140km in less then 75 minutes.

The new road will pass through areas like Panvel where the new airport is coming up. It will also pass through Thane, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan, Dombivli, Mira Road, Bhayendar, Bhiwandi, Ulhasnagar, Ambernath, Kulgaon, Nalasopara, Vasai, Virar, Navaghar, Alibaug, Karjat, Khopoli, Matheran, Panvel, Pen and Uran.

The proposed alignment will also connect with four crucial national highways namely, NH-8 (Mumbai-Ahmedabad), NH-3 (Mumbai-Agra-Delhi), NH-4 (Mumbai-Chennai), and NH-17 (Goa-Mangalore-Kerala).

The corridor will provide for 30-metre wide Metro corridor in the median, four-lane corridor for BRTS, four-lane corridor for other traffic, five-metre wide pedestrian pathways on either side, seven-metre wide two-lane service roads on either side, 2.5-metre wide parking lane for four-wheelers on either side, 3.5-metre wide lane for two-wheelers on either side and 2-metre footpath on each side.