MMRDA has initiated work on the project and plans to complete erection of pillars as well as the viaduct within a year.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has received the clearance to proceed with work for metro construction on SV Road, which is part of the Mumbai Metro line 2B running between DN Nagar and Mandale.
This development has come in after the High Court in December 2022 disposed of a public interest litigation (PIL) filed regarding a stretch of the corridor, reports ET.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is responsible for implementing the corridor and has started installing pier portals.
Following the completion of the piers, the corporation will proceed with the installation of the viaduct.
The DMRC hopes to finish the entire 2B stretch in western suburbs by December 2024.
The construction work on the corridor commenced in April 2018. The project had also received a no objection certificate (NOC) for this corridor at an elevation of 16.76 m in 2019 by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
However, objecting the NOC, a PIL was submitted by a resident to raise concerns as the elevated metro viaduct passed through a stretch of SV Road which is close to runway 8/26 of Juhu Aerodrome.
The section also has an air funnel and the stretch between Indira Nagar and Nanavati Hospital stations in Vile Parle falls in the funnel zone, as per the ET report.
Due to this, the construction between this specific stretch came to a standstill.
In January 2022, the High Court requested an independent and comprehensive report from Rajiv Bansal, the Secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, regarding the issue of the height clearance that was granted for the Mumbai Metro rail project.
With this development, a senior MMRDA official said, “Now that the court has passed an order in the project’s favour, we have initiated construction works and plan to complete erection of pillars as well as the viaduct within a year.”
The metro 2B corridor will include 22 stations in a stretch of 23.5 km. The overall corridor is being built at an estimated cost of Rs 11,000 crore.
This stretch is part of the larger Metro Line 2 project line connecting Dahisar-Bandra-Mankhurd.
The line 2A is operational and runs from Dahisar to DN Nagar having an 18.6 km long elevated corridor with 17 stations. It was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 19 January 2023, along with Line 7.
Line 2B will extend the operational Line 2A, from DN Nagar and Andheri West towards Mandale and Mankhurd, in the eastern suburbs.
The first phase will link DN Nagar to National College in Bandra and is projected for completion in 2024. Chembur-Mandale link is the second phase which is expected to follow in June 2025.
Throughout the length of the corridor, it will intersect with the upcoming metro line 3 in Bandra, line 4 and the rail connection at Kurla, and will meet the monorail in Chembur.