The construction of Thane’s second Station Area Traffic Improvement Scheme (SATIS) bridge has been temporarily halted due to the monsoon season and seeking permissions from railway officials.
According to Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) authorities, construction will continue once the monsoon has passed, and it is expected to be completed by December. While the majority of the 2.4 km elevated road has been completed, the vital railway overbridge (ROB) that connects Thane’s eastern and western halves is still incomplete.
The first SATIS project in Thane West, completed in 2010, involved the construction of an elevated deck for buses, skywalks, and foot overbridges, which greatly improved traffic flow in the area. However, to relieve persistent congestion, particularly in Thane East, the second SATIS project was launched in 2018. The Rs 270 crore project was launched to relieve pressure on the first SATIS bridge in the west, which experienced a high volume of passenger traffic from Thane.
During a site visit in May of this year, Thane Municipal Commissioner Saurabh Rao assured that the second SATIS would be completed by August 2024. Sandeep Malvi, the Additional Commissioner of TMC and CEO of Thane Smart City explained that the rain and the difficulty of operating near active railway tracks contributed to the delay.
SATIS-II, part of the Thane Smart City concept, is being constructed in Thane East and will entail the construction of a flyover connecting Tuljabhavani Temple near the Kopri railway crossing to the Sinchan Bhawan area. The bridge, which forms a loop, stands out since it runs above the railway track and serves as a connection between Thane’s east and west sides. A site supervisor, who did not want to be identified, stated that the primary reason for the delay was pending approval from the railway department.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and the TMC are working together to implement the SATIS project, a World Bank-funded initiative, as part of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) road component.
Source: The Indian Express
