Changing City: New Bhayandar-Gaimukh Link to ease Mumbai’s northern traffic | Mumbai News

Project overview 

The Bhayandar-Gaimukh corridor is divided into two parts.

The first, beginning from the Bhayandar end, is a creek bridge that will stretch 15 kilometres from Bhayandar to the Fountain Hotel Junction. The second leg of the journey, between the Fountain Hotel Junction and Gaimukh, continues via underground twin tunnels for around 6 km.

The six-lane corridor between Bhayandar and Gaimukh targets a seamless journey to and from Mumbai through the north.

Total length: 15.44 km

Elevated Creek Bridge from Bhayandar to Fountain Hotel Junction: 9.58 km; 3+3 lanes

Underground Route from Fountain Hotel Junction to Gaimukh: 5.86 km; 3+3 twin tunnels

How it will help

The 16-km route between Bhayandar and Gaimukh is also one of the most congested entry points into Mumbai.

Currently, the journey between Bhayandar and Gaimukh takes anywhere between 30 minutes at the minimum to over an hour with increasing traffic. Traffic on the Ghodbunder Road is an almost perpetual phenomenon, prolonging the journey between the two suburbs.

Through Ghodbunder Road, traffic enters from Thane, Kalyan, Dombivli, Bhiwandi and other eastern suburbs.

At the Hotel Fountain Junction, vehicles enter from Vasai, Virar, Palghar and other northern suburbs, as well as from Gujarat along the NH-48.

This long-distance traffic, as well as local traffic, causes the time taken to cover the short distance to stretch into hours. With the access-controlled corridor directly connecting Bhayandar and Gaimukh, there will be another alternative to the congested roads and a separation of local traffic. Hence, entering Mumbai through the city’s north will take just around 20 minutes.

The Metro Line 10 is also coming up along this route, further reducing traffic.

Timeline: 5 years

Cost: Rs 17,036.03 crore

Construction cost: Rs 12,947.40 crore

Private land needed: 57.76 Hectares

Land acquisition costs: Rs 713.94 crore

Funding

To be built on a PPP basis

60% by private concessionaire

40% of the cost will be covered by Viability Gap Funding — half from the central government and half from the state government

Executing agency

Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA)

MMRDA has also been appointed as Special Planning Authority (SPA) for the influence area of the project. The project is under the scrutiny of the Network Planning Group (NPG) under the PM Gati Shakti initiative.

Next step

Cost approvals from the central government and tendering exercise.

Official speak

“Since the Mumbai North Coastal Road Project terminates near the Uttan Road Junction, and the majority of traffic enters Mumbai via the Ghodbunder Junction, connectivity between Bhayandar and Ghodbunder is required to establish an alternative route to the Western Express Highway. This proposed elevated road will distribute regional and local traffic more efficiently and improve the resilience of the road network,” says the Government Resolution approving the project.