In order to ease traffic congestion and enhance connectivity, Thane is scheduled to undertake major road infrastructure improvements. Several significant projects have been proposed and approved following Thane Municipal Corporation’s (TMC) 2025–2026 budget estimate, guaranteeing commuters a more seamless and effective transport system.
One of the major initiatives is the Balkum-Gaimukh Coastal Road, which was created to reduce traffic on the crowded Ghodbunder Road. The 13.44-kilometer road will run parallel to Ghodbunder Road and be 40–45 meters wide. With an estimated cost of Rs 3,364.62 crore, the project has been approved by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). 54.29 hectares of land are needed for the construction, of which 69.72% has already been purchased. It will involve open-cut parts, embankment roadways, and viaduct bridges.
The Thane-Borivali Tunnel is another important project that would significantly cut down on travel time between the two places by passing beneath Sanjay Gandhi National Park. Currently, motorists have to use the Eastern Express Highway or Ghodbunder Road to make the 23-kilometer journey.
Travel time between Thane and Borivali will be reduced to 10 to 15 minutes thanks to the planned 11.85-kilometer tunnel, which includes 10.25 km of underground transit. The project, which started in May 2023 and is scheduled to cost Rs 16,600.40 crore, is expected to reduce traffic while connecting to the Mumbai Coastal Road through an elevated corridor.
Nine-foot overbridges (FOBs) will be built along the Wadala-Kasarvadavali-Gaimukh Metro section to improve pedestrian safety. In order to provide secure access to metro stations, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has started construction on these bridges. In order to facilitate smooth mobility, the current foot overbridges on Ghodbunder Road will also be connected to metro stations.
Additionally, Ghodbunder Road, Thane’s main thoroughfare, will be improved. The purpose of merging the service roads on both sides into the main roadway is to widen the road and alleviate traffic. Flyovers under the Metro line have also been planned by MMRDA at key intersections along Ghodbunder Road to help with traffic flow.
The Eastern Freeway extension is another important project; it now ends at Ghatkopar. Extreme traffic congestion results from vehicles travelling towards Nashik and Ghodbunder Road having to pass through densely populated neighbourhoods of Thane. The construction of a 14-kilometer elevated road from Kopri Toll Naka to Kanhaiya Nagar and subsequently to Saket, where it will connect with the Coastal Road, would address this. MMRDA approved the project, which is expected to cost Rs 2,900 crore.
In addition, an 8.25-kilometer elevated road between Anand Nagar and Saket will be built on the Eastern Express Highway at a cost of ₹1,275 crore. Vehicles from Mumbai will be able to avoid Thane city thanks to this three-lane corridor, which would lessen traffic and pollution.
In order to enhance communication between Kopri, Wagle Estate, and Thane, a new subway has been created. This will provide an alternate route and alleviate traffic at Teen Haath Naka. By providing a direct connection between Thane East and West, the new suburban railway station in Kopri, which is anticipated to be finished by December 2025, would improve access to the new rail system.
Source: The Indian Express
