Mumbai, Jan 27 (IANS) In a high-level meeting of the Cabinet Infrastructure Committee, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis issued several directives to accelerate the state’s transport and connectivity landscape. The committee granted formal approval to the ambitious Metro Line 8 and key highway projects in Nashik and Gadchiroli.

The committee approved the 35 km Metro Line 8 of the Gold Line, a high-speed corridor designed to connect Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) and the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA).

Of the 35 km, 9.25 km will be underground and 24.636 km elevated. The Gold Line is designed as a crucial infrastructure link to reduce travel time between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. There will be a total of 20 stations, including six underground from CSMIA Terminal 2 to Ghatkopar East and 14 elevated from Ghatkopar West to NMIA Terminal 2. The average distance between two stations will be 1.9 km. The estimated cost will be Rs 22,862 crore.

Nearly 30.7 hectares of land is required at an estimated cost of Rs 388 crore. CM Fadnavis directed officials to complete land acquisition and all regulatory approvals within the next six months, with a mandate to complete the entire project within three years thereafter.

With NMIA set to handle significant passenger traffic, seamless movement between the two airports will be crucial for transit flyers, airline crew, cargo operators and outstation travellers. Road travel between the points where the airports are located currently takes over 70-90 minutes, depending on traffic.

The Gold Line was earlier planned jointly by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra Limited, which will now be constructed through a public-private partnership model by CIDCO in association with a private consortium.

To bolster connectivity in Eastern Maharashtra, CM Fadnavis ordered acceleration of the extended Samruddhi Mahamarg arms. These include the Nagpur-Gondia and Bhandara-Gadchiroli highway sections. He emphasised that projects must adhere to strict timelines to prevent cost overruns and delays.

In view of the upcoming Kumbh Mela, the committee fast-tracked the 66.15 km Nashik City Outer Ring Road (Parikrama Marg) with an approved budget of Rs 3,954 crore.

Additionally, to facilitate mineral transport in Gadchiroli, the committee approved improving the Navegaon More – Konsari – Mulchera – Hedari – Surjagarh highway. This 85.76 km stretch will be upgraded to a four-lane cement concrete highway.

CM Fadnavis, who was accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar, underscored the importance of “readiness”, stating that all necessary permissions must be secured before physical work commences. “Projects must be completed within the stipulated period; there should be no lingering delays,” he noted.

–IANS

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