Decks cleared for ₹425-cr road extension in Mumbai

Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has received the necessary permissions to extend the much-delayed Ghansoli-Airoli section of Palm Beach Road in Mumbai up to Airoli-Mulund Creek Bridge. The revised plan involves increasing the length of the road by 1.5 km, which will also raise the cost from ₹250 crore to ₹425 crore. Originally proposed by CIDCO in 2004, the 21.12-km long Palm Beach Road from Belapur to Airoli sector 10A was constructed as a 19.20 km stretch from Belapur to Ghansoli. The remaining two km was delayed as it involved mangroves. Although CIDCO transferred Ghansoli node to NMMC along with the incomplete Palm Beach Road in 2009, the project remained in limbo until now.

According to City Engineer, NMMC, Sanjay Desai, the project is essential for a smooth flow of traffic in the region, and as per the new plan, the road will be 3.47 km long, including a two km long bridge across the mangroves area, and 1.5 km additional length. The Ghansoli-Airoli Palm Beach Road is expected to reduce daily traffic congestion on Thane-Belapur Road and provide motorists easy access to Kalyan, Badlapur, Ambernath, Murbad and other areas, including Navi Mumbai international airport via the under-construction Airoli-Katai route.