By IANS,
Mumbai: The construction for the first phase of the 9.29 km long Eastern Freeway Project (EFP) was completed Saturday, paving the way for opening India’s longest elevated urban road by May, an official said.
The 16.40 km long EFP is being constructed by the Mumbai Metropolitna Region Development Authority (MMRDA) as one of the showpiece infrastructure projects of Mumbai.
“Over 2,000 workers, 100 engineers and other officials toiled for the past few years with 1.60 million bags of cement, 32,000 tonnes steel, 3,346 girders and 2,600 km long high tension steel wires to complete the first part of the EFP,” said MMRDA Additional Metropolitan Commissioner Ashwini Bhide.
Bhide said the first part of the EFP will be a boon for the northeast-south traffic movement in Mumbai, passing through some of the most congested areas.
The EFP is a high-speed additional corridor connecting south Mumbai with the eastern suburbs and beyond to Thane, Raigad and other interior parts of the state.
It runs 9.29 km from Orange Gate to Anik-Panrapole Link Road, and Anik-Panjrapole up to Ghatkopar comprising the remaining 7.21 kms.
While 12.10 km of the EFP is completely elevated, the remaining 4.30 km will have a 500-metre long twin tunnel – India’s first in an urban road network – and two flyovers at Vashi Naka and RCF Junction, said MMRDA Chief Engineer Sharad Sabnis.
“The signal-free EFP will have profound impact on the way Mumbaikars commute as it would decongest Sion, Chembur and Dadar areas significantly,” Sabnis said on the occasion.