State infrastructure development authorities MMRDA, MSRDC swap projects

State infrastructure development authorities MMRDA and MSRDC have decided to swap two crucial projects Virar-Alibaug multimodal corridor and the Thane-Borivali twin tunnel.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) on Wednesday tweeted that the authority has taken over the tunnel project from Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) and handed over the multimodal corridor project to the latter.

According to reports, the decision to swap the projects was taken during a meeting between the two authorities in August.

The 126-km corridor is expected to be a crucial step towards development, strengthening and creating job opportunities in seven growth centres in MMR such as Virar, Bhiwandi, Kalyan, Dombivali, Panvel, Taloja and Uran.

It is expected to carry all the traffic from JNPT towards Navi Mumbai and Thane outside the city and help reduce traffic congestion within the city, reducing the travel time between Virar to Alibaug by 50 per cent.

The nearly Rs 9,000-crore twin tunnel project, on the other hand, is expected to cut the travel time between Borivali and Mulund by 30 minutes to 20 minutes.

The road will also have a 1-km-long link road with a 10.20-km tunnel to be constructed under the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, and will start from Tikuji Ni Wadi (Thane) and connect with the western expressway at Borivali.