Changing City: Eastern Freeway extension work begins; to cut travel time between South Mumbai, Thane to 30 minutes

At present, the Eastern freeway ends at Mankhurd in the eastern suburbs. Forming an extension to the freeway, the new elevated road will commence near the landing of the freeway from Chheda Nagar. Spanning a total length of 13.90 km, the corridor will pass through Ghatkopar over Ramabai Nagar, Vikhroli, Kanjurmarg, JVLR, Airoli, Mulund, and finally end at Anand Nagar in Thane.

In Thane, the project will later link to another elevated corridor, the Anand Nagar to Saket project in Thane city, at Mulund Octroi Naka.

For South-bound commuters, the authority has also proposed two-lane up and down ramps for exit and entry at three locations — near Mulund Check Naka, Airoli Junction, and near the Vikhroli Junction.

Features

The project spans across a stretch of 13.90 km with the superstructure encompassing a width of 25 metres. With three lanes on each carriageway, the corridor will comprise of six lanes altogether. Meanwhile, the length of the span is 40 metres.

Current Status

The MMRDA has currently completed preliminary survey and test piling work. With the project slated to affect about 700 trees along the Eastern Express Highway, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has also put up notices on trees.

At present, the authority is undertaking a geotechnical investigation and utility identification. Besides, the casting of piers has commenced on ground. So far, about 5.38 per cent of the physical work has been executed.

Timeline of construction

Work on the project is estimated to take four years. Of the total period, 12 months have been earmarked for design and environment clearance, while the construction work is expected to be executed in 36 months.

Administration speaks

Dr Sanjay Mukherjee, IAS, Metropolitan Commissioner, MMRDA, said: “Under the ‘Mumbai in Minutes’ initiative, we are reimagining urban connectivity across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Once completed, this corridor will make travel from South Mumbai to Thane -Saket seamless — signal-free, and time-efficient. Commuters will be able to reach their destinations within 20 to 25 minutes, significantly reducing congestion and improving regional mobility. This project is a crucial link in our effort to integrate the city’s road and metro networks, ensuring that people and productivity move faster than ever before.”