NAVI MUMBAI, June 19 -- Thousands of commuters travelling daily between Thane and Navi Mumbai by road often find themselves stuck in long traffic snarls at the Kalwa and Airoli-Mulund creek bridges, with peak-hour delays stretching to nearly an hour. In a bid to provide long-awaited relief, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has invited bids for a new road bridge connecting Kopri in Thane East with Patni near Airoli, taking one of the region's key connectivity projects a step closer to execution. The MMRDA has floated tenders for the Rs.723.42-crore project, which involves the construction of a 1.4-km-long six-lane cable-stayed bridge across Thane Creek along with approach roads. The proposed crossing will originate from Mith Bandar Road in Kopri, around 750 metres from Thane railway station, and terminate at Patni on Airoli Knowledge City Road, providing a direct connection between Thane Station Road and the Thane-Belapur Road corridor. As per tender conditions, the selected contractor will be required to complete the project within 42 months, followed by a 60-month defect liability period. If work progresses as scheduled, the bridge is expected to be opened to traffic by 2030, adding a major new road link between Thane and Navi Mumbai after several years. The proposed corridor is expected to cut travel time between Thane East and the Airoli-Digha belt by 20 to 30 minutes, depending on traffic conditions, while providing motorists with an alternative to the region's two heavily congested creek crossings. Traffic volumes are also expected to rise further once the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR) becomes operational, as it will offer faster connectivity between the western suburbs and Navi Mumbai, making an additional creek crossing increasingly necessary, sources said. MMRDA official said the Thane-Belapur Road corridor has witnessed rapid industrial and information technology-driven growth and serves as a vital route connecting Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT), the Nashik Highway and several major commercial hubs. "The traffic load on the existing creek bridges has increased significantly over the years. The new bridge will provide an alternative route and improve overall connectivity between Thane and Navi Mumbai," the official said. According to MMRDA traffic studies, nearly 51,000 vehicles use the Thane-Belapur Road every day, while around 30,000 vehicles traverse the Airoli-Mulund Creek Bridge daily....