Kamal Ghorui
Mumbai: The proposed elevated road connecting NH-4 at Airoli to Katai Naka in Dombivli, whose contract was awarded by MMRDA in Oct 2024, is likely to miss its 2028 deadline by a year as land acquisition is yet to be completed and may continue till Sept, said officials.“Ideally, land acquisition should have been completed within 12 months, but it is taking longer than expected,” said an MMRDA official.The elevated road (phase 3), spanning 6.7km, includes a 6km viaduct, a 100m railway overbridge and a corridor by Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd, 1.6km of access ramps, and 6.3km of service roads. It aims to improve connectivity between Navi Mumbai, Kalyan-Dombivli, Ambernath and Badlapur. The six-lane (3+3) road is expected to ease congestion and significantly boost regional development. It will also provide faster access to the Navi Mumbai international airport.The project involves land acquisition across six villages: Kausa, Donkar, Davale, Sheel, Desai and Katai. “The joint measurement survey was completed in Jan and Feb this year. Compensation for one of the villages has commenced, but the process for the remaining five will be taken afterwards,” said an official from the Thane collector’s office.The MMRDA official said given the current scenario, the land acquisition process may continue till Sept. “Therefore, the project deadline is likely to be delayed by at least one year,” said the official.The official said once land is acquired, the contractor needs at least four months to commence work. “During this period, geo-technical investigations, soil testing, design drawings and utility diversions, if required, will be taken up. Only after these activities can physical construction begin. With the monsoon approaching, there is an urgent need to expedite the land acquisition process.”Currently, commuters often take a longer route via Mahape to reach Shilphata before proceeding to Kalyan, Dombivli, Badlapur and other areas. With traffic volumes increasing along this stretch, MMRDA decided to construct a direct elevated road from NH-4 to Katai (near the toll naka on Kalyan-Shil Road) to reduce travel distance and ease congestion.
