Mumbai, Oct. 30 -- Maharashtra has approved the Rs. 138.56 bn Metro Line 12A project to improve connectivity between Kalyan-Dombivli and Navi Mumbai. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has set a completion deadline of 3.5 years for the corridor, which was cleared by the Cabinet Infrastructure Committee on Tuesday.

The 18.40-km elevated route will connect Manpada-Katai Naka to Taloja through Kalyan Phata. The project will include 12 elevated stations and an integrated road flyover system comprising a 4-lane stretch of 6.93 km and a 6-lane section extending 8.69 km.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) will implement both the metro and flyover components. The corridor is planned to improve access between residential areas, industrial estates and logistics hubs, while providing commuters with an alternative to congested roads across a rapidly expanding part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

MMRDA Metropolitan Commissioner Sanjay Mukherjee has estimated that the project could reduce travel times by 40 to 50 per cent compared with road journeys. Daily ridership is projected at 474,000 passengers, with the eventual impact dependent on construction progress, service frequency and last-mile connectivity.

Katai Naka is planned as an interchange with Metro Line 12 and the bullet train link, while Metro Line 14 is expected to connect Katai Naka with Kalyan Phata. At Amandoot, the corridor will connect with Navi Mumbai Metro Line 1, and feeder bus services are proposed at every station. The project is also intended to ease pressure on highways and reduce private vehicle use.

The state committee has appointed MMRDA as the special planning authority and allowed identified government land in the project's influence zone to be transferred for development and resource mobilisation. Land availability, coordination between construction agencies and timely interchange integration will be critical to meeting the deadline and delivering the projected transport benefits.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Construction World.