Summary:
NAVI MUMBAI: The 5.8km long Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) coastal road plans will do more than just connect Mumbai to Navi Mumbai. If all goes according to plan, the city’s first vehicular and train corridor, that has been planned on the 1.2 km arm of the MTHL coastal road, will connect SoBo motorists to the upcoming international airport.The stretch will also connect the flyers or commuters from the upcoming Targhar railway station on the Nerul-Uran rail corridor by the proposed sky train.While those driving down can make use of the two dedicated elevated separate corridors to drive back and forth from the airport, Cidco has reserved a space of around 14 metre in the middle of the two corridors for the train connect from the station (see box). So, the two separate corridors will have vehicular traffic, while the train connect in-between .A Cidco source said, “The final decision on the train connect —whether it will be a sky train or mono rail or any variant will be taken later— but we have made reservation for the space.”Flyers reaching Targhar station (construction underway) that will have a Metro station on pillars for the proposed fast track CST elevated Metro corridor connecting SoBo can make use of the sky train that will act as a last-mile connectivity for flyers using the Metro or suburban train connect.The road infra project pegged at Rs 711 crore has been tendered and the bid was to close on April 3, but Cidco has extended the deadline to April 25 as there were inquiries regarding the designing the road by companies that have expressed interest in the project, said M D, Lokesh Chandra.A Cidco official added, “We have tendered the project keeping in mind the reservation space to be kept for the train connectivity along the 1.2 km airport corridor.’’The train connect is likely to be taken up by MIAL—74% stakeholder in the SPV, Navi Mumbai International Airport Limited, that is executing the over Rs 16,000 crore airport project.The coastal road has a bifurcation at the station—one arm towards the airport and the other (another 1.2 km) to Amra Marg near Kille junction for city connect..