To ease traffic congestion, Thane’s Ghodbunder Road to be widened into 14-lane corridor

The project is part of a Rs 5,200-crore infrastructure expansion by the MMRDA that includes developing 23 internal roads and constructing the elevated Anand Nagar–Saket road.

Written by Vallabh Ozarkar

Mumbai | September 29, 2025 11:57 AM IST

2 min read

The widened corridor aims to permanently eliminate bottlenecks and enhance commuting for lakhs of daily travellers. (Express Photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee)

Traffic congestion along Ghodbunder Road, one of Thane’s busiest arteries, is set to ease with a major upgrade by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). The road will be widened into a 7+7-lane concrete corridor at a cost of Rs 500 crore.

“Thane is one of the most dynamic and fastest-growing parts of MMR, and traffic congestion here has to be addressed with both road and rail solutions,” MMRDA chief Sanjay Mukherjee told The Indian Express.

The Ghodbunder Road expansion is part of a larger Rs 5,200-crore infrastructure push in Thane. In addition to the 14-lane corridor, the MMRDA is developing 23 internal roads worth Rs 700 crore and constructing the elevated 3+3 lane Anand Nagar–Saket road at a cost of Rs 1,800 crore, which will act as a bypass across the city.

“Another major project, the Rs 2,200-crore Thane Coastal Road, will provide an east-west corridor parallel to Ghodbunder Road,” he said.

The widened corridor aims to permanently eliminate bottlenecks and enhance commuting for lakhs of daily travellers. Currently, congestion along Ghodbunder Road during peak hours causes significant delays for commuters travelling to Mumbai and its nearby suburbs.

The project will also complement the ongoing and upcoming metro lines in Thane. Metro Lines 4, 4A, and 5 are expected to provide high-capacity mass transit, easing the load on Ghodbunder Road once operational.

In addition, the MMRDA is conducting a traffic simulation study of Thane to develop short-, medium-, and long-term measures for congestion management. “Together, these measures will ensure smoother local traffic flow, faster intercity connectivity, and a lasting solution to Thane’s congestion,” Mukherjee said.

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The Ghodbunder Road expansion is part of the MMRDA’s broader strategy to enhance mobility in the MMR, combining road and rail infrastructure to reduce travel times, alleviate bottlenecks, and support Thane’s rapid urban development.

“Construction is expected to begin soon, and the project is being coordinated alongside other infrastructure developments to ensure minimal disruption to commuters,” said Mukherjee.

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