Speaking after the inauguration of several infrastructure projects on Monday, Fadnavis said, “We have planned construction of a 258-km Metro network in the city. (Express file photo) Speaking after the inauguration of several infrastructure projects on Monday, Fadnavis said, “We have planned construction of a 258-km Metro network in the city. (Express file photo) Commuting anywhere in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) won’t take more than an hour once all the proposed Metro corridors in the city are completed, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said. Speaking after the inauguration of several infrastructure projects on Monday, Fadnavis said, “We have planned construction of a 258-km Metro network in the city. We have already started, or are beginning, construction for at least 160 km. If we consider Navi Mumbai too, we are constructing the country’s longest Metro network. Once we complete the entire network in two to three years, Mumbai will have a complete circular movement and we will be able to reach any place in the MMR region within an hour. We will soon also have Integrated Ticketing System (ITS), through which people can travel by different modes of transport using a single ticket.” While working on projects within Mumbai, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has also taken up multiple projects in the MMR region. “In Thane alone, we have taken up projects worth more than Rs 50,000 crore. We are also undertaking the construction of the 22-km Trans Harbour Link, connecting Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, which will be the country’s longest sea link,” he added. The CM inaugurated two flyovers in Thane — Savita Chemicals flyover and Ghansoli-Talavli flyover and a vehicular underpass at Mahape, apart from conducting the bhoomi pujan for a rail overbridge at Kopri, Thane and an elevated road and tunnel at Airoli, connecting Thane-Belapur Road and NH-4. The state is also looking to improve water transport in Thane. “We want to start Ro-Ro service in Thane and are considering how we can connect it till Vasai-Virar. The Maharashtra Maritime Board and MMRDA will take this project. Since container movement in Thane causes a lot of traffic congestion, we are looking at the feasibility of moving container traffic through Ro-Ro. If we can move the container traffic out, we will be able to avoid the huge pileups due to these vehicles on the road. With this, we will be providing transport through all modes of transport,” Fadnavis said. Also present at the public meeting, Eknath Shinde, Thane’s guardian minister, said, “This is an important day for Thane as many important projects have been launched to ease the traffic here. We have been talking about constructing the Kopri Bridge for the last 14 years now. It is the need of the hour now as the population here has increased. We should try to finish the work before the deadline as each day is important.” Fadnavis spoke about completing such projects within a tight deadline. “We generally give 18 to 24 months to the contractor to complete a project. But with the upgradation in technology now, flyovers should be completed in 12 months,” Fadnavis said. For all the latest Mumbai News, download Indian Express App

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