Mumbai and Navi Mumbai have a lot of road-related infrastructure projects underway. One of these is Navi Mumbai’s Airoli-Katai Naka Freeway. The construction of this new freeway began in 2017 and according to the latest reports, the bridge should be open to traffic by the next year. The reason for constructing this freeway is the same as the reason for constructing all other road-related infrastructure, to improve connectivity for those who regularly travel by road.
Navi Mumbai’s Airoli-Katai Naka Freeway: All You Need To Know
This particular project is about 12.3 Kilometres long and is divided into three major phases. The first phase, which is about 3.43 kilometres long, is 92 per cent complete, as per a recent Times Now article. This first phase is located between the Thane-Belapur road and the National Highway No. 4, which is also known as the Old Mumbai-Pune Highway.
The second phase, which is about 2.57 kilometres long, is about 67 per cent complete. The construction of the third phase, which is the longest stretch of the freeway and measures 6.3 kilometres in length, has not gained momentum yet.
This means that the freeway is still mostly incomplete. It began construction in 2017 and its deadline is supposed to be in the first six months of 2024. This means that the freeway should be complete and open to traffic in the next eight to ten months.
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Will Cut Down Travel Time & Speed Up Travel
The project will begin from the Mulund-Airoli Bridge. It will continue through the Thane-Belapur road till the Katai Naka on the Thane-Shil road. This freeway is said to cut down the congestion of traffic on the Shilpatha road. It will cut down travel time by 20 to 25 minutes.
The travel distance between Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan, and Badlapur will also be cut down by seven kilometres. The project is estimated to cost around ₹237.77 crores and is being built by the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority or the MMRDA. In addition, it also incorporates a twin tunnel drilled through the Parsik Hills that is 1.7 kilometres long.
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Do you think this freeway will positively affect your commute? Let us know in the comments below!
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