Mumbai’s proposed double-decker bridge between Nahur and Airoli is expected to cut the Goregaon-Airoli journey to less than 20 minutes, replacing a trip that currently takes about 1.5 to two hours during regular conditions. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has approved the project as the final phase of the 12.2-km Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR).
The cable-stayed bridge will be 1.6 km long and will run above and parallel to the existing freeway. It will connect Nahur with Airoli and allow vehicles travelling from Mumbai’s western suburbs through the GMLR’s underground tunnel to move directly onto the new structure, without switching to the existing Nahur-Airoli flyover.
The existing flyover is frequently congested during peak hours. The proposed bridge is intended to provide an additional route and reduce pressure on that connection. It will merge with the road carriageway near the Airoli toll plaza, according to the project details reported by The Indian Express.
The structure will also include four cloverleaf arms. These will allow vehicles travelling from Thane and Vashi to enter the flyover directly and continue towards the underground tunnels leading to Goregaon in Mumbai’s western suburbs.
The bridge is part of the wider GMLR, a Rs 15,000 crore BMC project designed to establish a direct east-west connection across Mumbai’s suburbs through a combination of underground tunnels, flyovers and bridges. The larger project is intended to link Goregaon and Mulund and improve movement between the western suburbs and the eastern region of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
The BMC appointed the Veermata Jijabai Institute of Technology (VJTI) last month to conduct a feasibility study and audit the bridge plan. The civic body will pay VJTI Rs 6 crore for the assignment. The project itself is estimated to cost Rs 1,354.52 crore.
Abhijit Bangar, additional municipal commissioner (Projects), said the bridge has two principal objectives: easing the load on the existing Nahur-Airoli bridge and creating seamless connectivity between Goregaon and Airoli. He said the journey between the two areas, which now usually takes 1.5 to two hours, would take less than 20 minutes once the project is ready.
The BMC has set October 2030 as the target for completing the double-decker bridge. The feasibility study and audit by VJTI will be the next stage in finalising the project plan.