Changing City: Mumbai-Vashi lane on Thane Creek Bridge-3 set to open in April

While one lane of Thane Creek Bridge-3 is likely to be open in April, the MSRDC is gearing up to complete construction of all six lanes by October end.

A decision to construct another bridge was taken in 2012, which would be the third bridge to be constructed across Thane Creek channel with the existing bridge no. 2 saturating to traffic and bridge no. 1 closing operations due to its poor condition. (Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty)

While one lane of Thane Creek Bridge-3 is likely to be open in April, the MSRDC is gearing up to complete construction of all six lanes by October end.

The ongoing construction of Thane Creek Bridge-3 is designed to accommodate the increasing vehicular traffic expected once the Navi Mumbai International Airport becomes operational. This project involves expanding the current Thane Creek Bridge-2 to add six more lanes. With significant progress achieved on the South Mumbai to Vashi carriage – comprising over 85 per cent of the project – the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) is hoping to open one side of the road, potentially by April 2024.

Alignment:

1.8 km-long bridge built over Thane Creek, parallel to the existing Thane Creek Bridge 2, comprising 3 plus 3 lanes each (total six lanes)

Benefits:

Seamless travel between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, once fully opened
Serving the transportation needs of commercial vehicles traveling to and from Jawaharlal Nehru Port
Quick dispersal of traffic from the old bridge across Thane Creek with additional lanes
Useful for motorists travelling from central suburbs and from Mumbai Metropolitan Region

Challenges:

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Carrying out work without disturbing the marine biodiversity
Gaining the confidence of the fisherfolk community, ensuring no loss of livelihood
Protection of the nearby mangrove areas, flamingoes and mudflats

Cost: Rs 775 crore

Progress: 68% of overall project work done

What officials say:

“Our target is to finish the construction of Thane Creek Bridge 3 by the end of October, and following its completion, the bridge will be accessible to traffic. The one-side road from Mumbai to Vashi on TCB-3 is already prepared and is expected to be finished by April. Consequently, we intend to open this one-side road. To facilitate efficient traffic flow, toll lanes have been strategically implemented on this road,” Nitin Borule, MSRDC executive engineer, said.

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