Direct, signal-free route to T2 from highway now open

The Sahar Elevated Road, which will give a direct way to the new terminal of Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport from the Western Express Highway, was inaugurated on Wednesday.

Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, while announcing the road open, also said that bhoomipujan for another metro line in Mumbai, after Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar, will be done "soon".

"Soon, bhoomipujan of Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ metro will be done, which will be an underground rail," he said. Chavan added said the state has sought an assistance of Rs12,500 crore for Mumbai from the 14th Finance Commission.

Metropolitan commissioner UPS Madan said that soon the authority will finalise a consortium for general consultancy services for the 33.5-km-long underground metro rail. The estimated cost is around Rs23,136 crore and part of the funds will come from Japanese International Cooperation Agency as loan.

He added that the Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar corridor and the Santa Cruz-Chembur Link Road will also be thrown open shortly and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority will be constructing the ambitious Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link (MTHL) on cash-contract basis as the Centre has sanctioned Rs1,920 crore.

The Sahar Elevated Road is a 2.2-km-long signal-free ride with three lanes on either side for up and down traffic between CSIA and the highway.

MLA Krishna Hegde said, "In all, 750 houses have been shifted for the project and 250 houses, though ineligible, have been given alternate housing."