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The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority’s (MMRDA) proposal to build a 4.98-kilometer-long and 30.6-metre-wide bridge parallel to the railway bridge linking Bhayander West and Vasai West may be delayed owing to pending authorization from the forest department.
The project intends to cut travel time and duration connecting the two regions by 90 minutes as well as 30 kilometres, respectively, helping about 7.94 lakh people in Vasai taluka.
According to an MMRDA official, the forest department has not given the project final approval.
The Palghar collector has submitted a proportional afforestation application for clearance to the Konkan Bhavan divisional commissioner.
The planned bridge would require the relocation of 3.44 acres of forest land.
The region over which the bridge will traverse is home to mangroves, which are a preserved forest. As a result, the MMRDA must obtain authorization from the Ministry of Environment and Forests to chop them.
The alignment of the Bhayander-Vasai stream bridge has been proposed along the western side of a current railroad track.
This half has saltpan soil and a little mangrove flora that belongs to the administration. The construction line begins from Uttan Road near Netaji Subhash Chandra Ground in Murdha Gaon and continues through salt pan land, parts of a waterlogged region, and mangroves on the Bhayender side (2.16 km), Panju island (0.77 km), Vasai creek (1.45 km), and Naigaon (0.59 km). It comes to an end at Naigaon on Coutino Road.
The finished bridge will serve as a direct link between Mumbai and Vasai, as well as Gujarat, because the present NH-8 cannot handle the current traffic load and frequently has severe traffic congestion.
Currently, there is no direct road connection between Vasai and Bhayander, and both towns are solely connected by train.
Locals in Vasai must go through NH-8 to Kashimira and Mira-Bhayander via Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Road, a 39-kilometer trek that takes around 90 minutes.
When completed, the bridge would allow cars to reach their destination in only 10 minutes, compared to the current journey time of more than an hour.
This may potentially increase tourism on Panju Island.