State coastal road authority clears 3.9-km DP Road project with the strict condition to protect mangroves
The new road is expected to alleviate traffic issues. File pic/Satej Shinde
There’s good news for motorists who often get stuck in traffic on the Mumbai-Nashik highway stretch between Bhiwandi and Thane, and on Ghodbunder Road, as the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) has approved the proposed development of a DP Road from Kasarvadavli to Kharbao (New Thane).
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Currently, traffic from North India flows through Thane and Bhiwandi via the Old Agra Road (SH-35 Thane-Bhiwandi Road) at Majiwada and the Mumbai-Nashik highway through Kalwa. The overlap of outbound and local city traffic frequently causes severe congestion. The new road is expected to alleviate this issue.
According to project details, the road and bridge will provide direct connectivity from Ghodbunder Road (Kasarvadavli) to Bhiwandi (Kharbao) via Major State Highway 4 (Chinchoti-Anjur Phata Road). The project will also integrate with the Balkum-Gaimukh Coastal Road (Thane Coastal Road) and the Virar-Alibaug Multi-Modal Corridor, easing traffic in Thane and surrounding areas in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).
The proposed road, spanning 3,930 metres with a 40-metre right of way, will feature a 4+4 lane configuration, a 60-metre-wide obligatory bridge with plate girders for crossing Balkum-Gaimukh DP Road, and a 100-metre basket bridge over the Ulhas Creek. It is designed to integrate with the upcoming bullet train and Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) near Kharbao station.
To avoid impacting the Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary, the interchange design incorporates a partial cloverleaf at the project road-multimodal corridor intersection.
MCZMA raised concerns regarding mangrove cutting, as the project will require the diversion of 2.7 hectares of mangrove forest land. Expert members emphasised compliance with the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2019, and high court orders mandating prior permission for projects impacting mangroves or their 50-metre buffer zones.
The project proponent has been instructed to ensure minimum mangrove cutting and carry out compensatory plantation of mangroves over three times the area affected. Additionally, a No Objection Certificate (NoC) must be obtained from the Mangrove Cell, along with adherence to other specified conditions.
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