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Journalism of Courage
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said Sunday that the government is building an extensive underground road network, which he referred to as Mumbai’s own “paatal lok”, as part of its mission to eliminate the city’s chronic traffic congestion.
Speaking at the BJP’s Youth Connect event at the NSCI Dome in Worli, Fadnavis said the ambitious subterranean system, along with new parallel roads, bridges, and Metro expansion, will fundamentally transform how Mumbai moves.
“Traffic jams are one of Mumbai’s biggest problems. To free Mumbaikars from this, we are building multiple roads, underground tunnels, and a widespread Metro network. Once this ‘paatal lok’ is ready, Mumbai will get permanent relief from congestion,” the chief minister said.
Fadnavis noted that 60 per cent of Mumbai’s traffic load depends on the Western Express Highway, and reducing pressure on this corridor is crucial. He said the government is building parallel routes to ease this load.
At present, the city’s average traffic speed is 20 kmph, dropping to 15 kmph during peak hours. The new road systems, he said, will allow commuters to travel at up to 80 kmph, which he believes will significantly bring down congestion.
Fadnavis also listed several upcoming and ongoing infrastructure projects in the city, including the Thane-Borivali underground tunnel, Mulund-Goregaon underground link, a parallel road to the Western Express Highway from Borivali to Goregaon, the Worli-Sewri connector bridge linked to the Atal Setu and enabling direct access to the Navi Mumbai International Airport, the Chowpatty-bound tunnel extending from the end of the Eastern Freeway, and the Bandra-Kurla Complex tunnel extending to the airport which is expected to reduce the travel time from South Mumbai to the airport to around 20 minutes.
Fadnavis said the Eastern Freeway tunnel construction is already underway and is expected to be completed within three years.
The chief minister also announced a long-term plan to expand Mumbai’s infrastructure annually, including the opening of 50 km of new Metro lines every year. He said the city’s transformation would be visible within the next five years, with most major projects completed by 2032.
“Our aim is to make Mumbai completely free of traffic congestion,” he said, adding that a combined network of roads, tunnels, Metro, and rail improvements will reshape the city’s transport landscape.
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