Upgradation of Thane’s GB Rd stuck for want of clearances

Lakhs of motorists travelling from Navi Mumbai, Mumbai, and Thane to Gujarat, Nashik, and North Maharashtra will have to wait longer for a smooth ride on the Ghodbunder Highway as the much-anticipated road upgradation work has been delayed for want of forest clearances, officials have said.
The issue was discussed during a review meeting called by Thane municipal commissioner Saurabh Rao regarding issues pertaining to traffic management along the GB Road, which is a crucial road connector between Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, and Gujarat, and records over a lakh heavy freight and light city vehicular traffic using it daily.
It may be recalled the eight-lane state highway narrows down to four lanes in the Gaimukh Ghat, and the heavy rains and dense vehicular traffic movement here frequently damage the road stretch, causing massive inconvenience to motorists.
As a permanent solution, the state public works department proposed and sanctioned an upgrade that included reducing the height of the ghat road ascent by three metres, so that heavy vehicles didn’t have to slow down to climb the ascent. Also, the stretch till Fountain Hotel was to be concretised.
The tendering process was completed by the public works department beforehand, but as the stretch passes through the forest area, approvals from the central environment ministry were awaited, due to which the works will now start only after the rains, informed an official present for the meeting.
“The stretch lies in the Mira-Bhayender Municipal Corporation jurisdiction, and most of it is in bad condition. I have asked the PWD to repair the stretch, especially along the ghat section using asphalt, to ensure it is motorable before the monsoon,” informed Rao.
Meanwhile, the traffic department said they will allow the work to start only after mid-April once the school and college exam season is over. “Strengthening of the highway stretch between Gaimukh and Fountain sections is crucial. We will hold detailed planning sessions, taking into consideration the feedback from motorists and residents before allowing the PWD to undertake repair works, as it may require temporarily blocking traffic access on the busy stretch,” said DCP, Traffic, Pankaj Shirsat.