Travel between the two international airports in Mumbai will become much faster with the Maharashtra Government’s approval of the construction of Mumbai Metro Line 8, also known as the Gold Line, which will connect the Mumbai airport to the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA). Once the line is completed, the trip between the airports is expected to take between 30 and 35 minutes.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnaviswho made the decision at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, asked officials to ensure that all permits are obtained in advance and projects are completed on time.
Bombay Metro Line 8 will provide a direct rail link between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) and the upcoming Navi Mumbai airport. The metro line will be 35 kilometers long and will have 20 stations.
Six stations will be underground and 14 elevated. The underground stretch will run from Mumbai Airport Terminal 2 to Ghatkopar East, while the elevated stretch will connect Ghatkopar West to Navi Mumbai Airport Terminal 2. The average distance between two stations on the line will be less than 2 km.
The project will require 30.7 hectares of land, with land acquisition costs estimated at Rs 388 crore. The total cost of the project is Rs 22,862 crore. Officials have been asked to complete land acquisition and all clearances within six months, after which the project has to be completed within three years.
The metro link is considered crucial as Mumbai and Navi Mumbai airports are expected to work together as a twin airport system, handling the region’s growing passenger traffic.
The government also directed officials to expedite the work of widening the Samruddhi Expressway, including the Nagpur-Gondia and Bhandara-Gadchiroli stretches.
The Cabinet also approved the upgrading of the Navegaon More-Konsari-Mulchera-Hedri-Surjagad road from Gadchiroli, which is mainly used for transportation of minerals. The 85.76 kilometer stretch will be developed as a four-lane concrete road.
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Ahead of the Kumbh Mela, the government also cleared the Nashik Ring Road, a 66.15-kilometre project costing Rs 3,954 crore that aims to ease traffic and improve movement around the city.
During the meeting, Fadnavis directed officials to meet deadlines and avoid delays as the government pushes for faster completion of major infrastructure projects in Maharashtra.
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