Thane to Navi Mumbai Airport in 30 Minutes: New 26-Km Elevated Corridor to Halve Travel Time

Thane to Navi Mumbai International Airport in 30 Minutes: New 26-Km Elevated Corridor to Halve Travel TimeNew

26-Km Elevated Corridor to 30-40 Minutes

Travel Time from Thane to Navi Mumbai Airport Mumbai: With Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) scheduled to be open for June’s grand opening, the preparations for the better connectivity are in full swing. The City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco) and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) have undertaken heavy lifting of transportation projects that are underway at the moment in key locations such as the areas that house most of the travelers coming from Mumbai and Thane to the new airport. One of the most incredible projects is a new 26-km elevated corridor, which will link Thane directly to NMIA, and will be another way for the commuters to avoid congestion and have a shorter trip while traveling to and from the airport.

Cutting Travel Time Significantly

The proposed 26-km elevated corridor from Thane to NMIA is aiming to cut the travel time to 30-40 minutes only thus making it the fastest way and solving the overload and traffic on the other routes. Currently, the journey via Thane-Belapur Road and Palm Beach Road takes 60-90 minutes and often has heavy traffic but the new corridor ensures a quicker and more comfortable ride.

A Much-Needed Alternative to Congested Routes

The traffic from Thane to NMIA is currently dispatched by the Thane-Belapur Road and Palm Beach Road both of which are at traffic jams almost all the times. The new corridor that is going to start at Patni Chowk in Thane will add the missing direct unbroken way, so you will no longer have to bear the traffic hassles.

A Cidco official termed the project a game-changer for Thane having the potential to provide a faster and more convenient connection to the airport.The corridor would be a 17 km extension next to the Thane-Belapur Road from Patni Chowk to Vashi, whereas the rest 9 km from Vashi to NMIA would be a double-decker elevated road ensuring the connectivity from the airport to the city in a hassle-free manner.

Environmental Clearances and Project Challenges

Although the first phase of the corridor, between Patni Chowk and Vashi, has the least environmental obstacles, the second phase from Vashi to NMIA is much more challenging. This section is labeled as the area with mangroves and also it is in a coastal regulation zone, therefore, it will be necessary to get the environmental clearances before the construction can be started.

The total cost of Rs 8,000 crores would be the estimated cost of the entire project. “On the basis of the scale of this development the land acquisition, environmental clearances and the approvals would define the time that will be needed for the completion of the whole construction,” the official mentioned.

Strengthening NMIA’s Accessibility Further

With the high corridor, Cidco is also planning many other roads and bridges which would be positive in the development of the NMIA area. The first important news came on March 25, when the Indian forest department allowed the transfer of 4,859 square meters of forest land at Ulwe and Sonkhar creeks. This step will give the opportunity for the construction of a bridge over the Ulwe river instead of using a bund and will improve the airport accessibility.

As the construction is going on, the elevated corridor is going to have the main role in shortening the travel time, increasing the accessibility, and meeting the high demand for the traveling by air in the area, again reinforcing Navi Mumbai International Airport as the most important transportation node.