Thane-Vadape journey for Mumbai, Thane residents may drop from 2 hours to 30 minutes as road widening nears finish | Thane News
MUMBAI: The long-awaited widening of the Thane-Vadape stretch of the Mumbai-Nashik Highway is nearing completion, with around 95% of work on the 23.8-km corridor done. The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has set September-end as the fresh deadline for completing the remaining widening work.The ₹1,182-crore project involves expanding the existing four-lane highway into an eight-lane main carriageway and constructing 18.35 km of two-lane service roads. Once completed, the project is expected to cut travel time between Thane and Vadape from nearly two hours during peak traffic to around 30 minutes.However, motorists continue to face potholes and congestion at several points, particularly around Mankoli and Pimplas.MSRDC has begun filling potholes on the newly constructed roads, especially the service road between Mankoli and Pimplas. Section engineer Ramesh Khiste said heavy vehicles travelling to warehouses and logistics facilities were using the service roads because the Pimplas railway overbridge is still under construction.“These roads were primarily designed for lighter traffic, and the movement of heavy vehicles has resulted in potholes at several locations,” Khiste said.The road condition has come under greater scrutiny following the death of a Thane Disaster Response Force jawan in a road accident allegedly caused by a pothole on the Mumbai-Nashik Highway at Shahapur. The National Highways Authority of India subsequently launched a pothole-filling drive on its section of the highway.Khiste said the project involves around 80,000 concrete panels, of which 95% have been completed. MSRDC has identified around 550 panels that need to be dismantled and reconstructed, while nearly 1,800 cracks require repairs.“Considering the monsoon, we have filled the potholes using tar so that motorists do not face inconvenience. The defective panels will be replaced and the cracks will also be repaired by the end of October,” he said.Commuters said road conditions and bottlenecks continue to affect daily travel.Ramesh Jadhav, a Kalyan resident who works in Ghodbunder, said he travels to Thane by motorcycle every day.“I have noticed potholes even on some newly constructed roads. There is also traffic near Pimplas and Mankoli because of the ongoing work. It still takes me more than an hour to reach Thane,” he said.He also flagged uneven road surfaces at several locations, particularly along the Kalyan Phata-Mankoli stretch.One of the major pending components is the 84-metre Pimplas railway overbridge, which is around 72% complete. Girder launching began after the Railway Department granted permission on May 25, and the ROB is targeted for completion in September 2026.The project also includes 10 vehicular underpasses aimed at improving local connectivity and reducing bottlenecks. Seven at Yewai, Walshind, Sonale, Saravali, Dive LVUP, Dive VUP and Kharegaon have been completed.The Pimplas VUP is around 75% complete, while the Ovali VUP is 82% complete and the Mankoli-Mothagaon VUP about 77% complete. The Mankoli underpass, which provides connectivity towards Dombivli, remains among the key pending works.“Most of the major work has already been completed. The Pimplas railway overbridge and the Mankoli underpass are the major remaining works. Once these are completed, traffic congestion on this stretch will reduce considerably,” Khiste said.The project began in 2021 and was originally scheduled for completion by February 2025. After missing nearly three deadlines, MSRDC has now set September-end as the fresh target for completing the remaining widening work.The corridor is strategically important for motorists travelling from Mumbai and Thane towards Nashik, Kalyan-Dombivli and the Nagpur-bound Samruddhi Mahamarg. The Vadape end also connects to the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Mahamarg and the upcoming Mumbai-Delhi Expressway.Bhiwandi’s emergence as a major logistics hub has also increased heavy-vehicle movement along the corridor.With 95% of the widening work complete, traffic movement has improved at several locations. However, motorists will have to wait for the Pimplas ROB, Mankoli underpass and other pending works to be completed before the corridor can provide the seamless eight-lane connectivity envisaged under the project.
