India, May 11 -- The long-pending final hurdle in the construction of the 12.71-km Airoli-Katai Freeway has begun to be removed. Days after MMRDA announced that the much-awaited Katai-Shilphata (Mumbra) stretch of the corridor would open for motorists by December 2026, the state government has initiated the land acquisition process for the remaining portion of the project.

Simultaneously, surveys to assess the land and structures affected by the project have also commenced. For completion of the remaining section of the freeway, a total of 18.33 hectares of land will be acquired in five villages.

Designed as a continuous high-speed corridor, the freeway will reduce travel distance between Mulund and Katai Naka by up to eight kilometres....