THE WADALA-KASARVADAVLI METRO 4 WORK STARTED IN THANE
Thane is witnessing its first-ever Metro construction work with the beginning of Wadala-Kasarvadavli Metro-4 corridor. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone for the Wadala-Kasarvadavli Metro-4 corridor project in December 2016 after the state government gave the project a nod in September 2016. The Wadala-Kasarvadavli Metro-4 construction work has began in Thane in July with the MMRDA beginning soil testing in certain patches. The work will be carried out in two phases between Mulund Naka and Kasarvadavali. It will be carried out by a consortium of TATA Project Limited and China Harbour Engineering Company and another consortium of Reliance Infrastructure Ltd and ASTALDI. And a consortium which includes DB Engineering, Louis Berger and Hill International has been selected as general consultants for project and construction management services. So far permission has been given only for soil testing and the barricading with not cause any traffic jams as it will take up only a small part of the roads.
The Wadala-Kasarvadavli Metro-4 of the Mumbai Metro, currently in the early stages of construction, is part of the metro system for the city of Mumbai and is being developed by MMRDA.
The 32.32 km (20.08 mile) line is planned to be fully elevated and is expected to consist of 32 stations from Wadala to Kasarvadavali-Ghodbunder Road, Thane via Ghatkopar, Mulund and Teen Hath Naka. The estimated cost of Wadala-Kasarvadavli Metro-4 project is around Rs.22,000 crores. The Wadala-Kasarvadavli Metro-4 project is expected to cover almost 70 per cent area of Thane. The major areas to be benefited are Vasant Vihar, Pokhran Road 1 and 2, Majiwada, Hiranandani Estate and Ghodbunder Road. An additional 2.7-km extension from Kasarvadavli to Gaimukh has been approved by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). The Wadala-Kasarvadavli Metro-4 corridor is designed to carry 8-coach trains with a capacity of 2,244 persons. The daily ridership is expected to be 8.7 lakh in 2021 and 12.13 lakh in 2031. There will be dedicated car depots at Owale and Godrej area.The barricading on EEH will start from Suman Nagar flyover in Chembur till the Ghatkopar exit near Garodia Nagar, further connecting to LBS Marg. It will then go up to Mulund check naka entering Thane and connecting Majiwada, Kapurbawdi, Manpada and Kasarvadavali. Later on the Wadala-Kasarvadavli Metro-4 project will be connected with an extended corridor till GPO, South Mumbai.
It is expected to be completed in 2022 and will provide inter-connectivity among the existing Eastern Express Highway, Central Railway, Mono Rail, the on-going Metro Line 2B (D N Nagar to Mandale), and the proposed Metro Line 5 (Thane to Kalyan), Metro Line 6 (Swami Samarth Nagar to Vikhroli) and Metro Line 8 (Wadala to General Post Office). It will reduce the current travel time by between 50% and 75% depending on road conditions. The Wadala-Kasarvadavli Metro-4 project will be funded by the centre and state government along with loans from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the World Bank.
While the Wadala-Kasarvadavli Metro-4 project would minimize the traffic burden on the suburban rail network, there will be an apparent rise in property demand surrounding the corridor also. The localities in the Thane district and the areas nearby will reap the maximum benefits as developers will now be comfortable exploring the suburbs for new developments.
Experts predict a bright future for the areas such as Thane, Kanjurmarg, Vikhroli and Mulund West. In fact, prices in these localities have already appreciated in the last few months with a rise of 17 per cent in Kanjurmarg, 15 per cent in Vikhroli and 23.6 per cent in Mulund West. Property buyers in Thane, especially Ghodbunder road have enjoyed a 300% growth in the last five years! Economic advisors and analysts suggest an estimated 40% increase of employment opportunities in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), including Thane. Such a predicted hike in jobs would entail a major increase in the demand for housing and subsequently could generate further capital appreciation for real estate investments in Thane.