Mumbai, February 15, 2024 – Good news for commuters between Mumbai and Pune as the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) secures approval for the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) connector at Chirle, linking to the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. The estimated cost of the Chirle connector project, aimed at saving an hour of travel time between south Mumbai and Pune, is around INR 1000 crore.
Dr. Sanjay Mukherjee, the Metropolitan Commissioner of the MMRDA, took to Twitter to announce the development, stating, “The project of MTHL connector connecting MTHL at Chirle to Mumbai-Pune Expressway at Palaspe is now approved, and work is expected to start soon.”
The connector project comprises two six-lane elevated roadways, with one linking Palaspe to the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and the other connecting Chirle to Gavhan Phata. Additionally, an interchange near the Mumbai-Pune Expressway will be created, extending the current NH48 to six lanes.
Tenders for the elevated corridor were invited in March 2023, covering a distance of 7.35 km from the JNPT exit at Kon village in Panvel to the Chirle interchange in Ulwe. Once completed in approximately 30 months, the elevated route will enhance connectivity for NH348 and NH48 road users.
This significant infrastructure development will particularly benefit commuters using MTHL to travel between Mumbai and Pune, providing an alternative to the congested Sion-Panvel Highway and bypassing the Vashi toll post before reaching the Mumbai-Pune Expressway.
Since its inauguration in January, the MTHL, the nation’s longest sea bridge, has already proven its efficacy in reducing travel time between Mumbai and crucial locations like coastal Konkan, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, Navi Mumbai, the future New International Airport, Pune, and Goa highways.
