Proposed Virar To Alibaug Corridor Map

[Otilia Mojarro]

TheVirar-Alibaug Multimodal Corridor (VAMMC) is a 126-km long multimodal corridor. It is one of the major infrastructure projects in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The ambitious project is designed to enhance connectivity across Mumbai, Thane and Raigad.

The Virar Alibaug Multimodal corridor is proposed to be a 126-km long corridor connecting Navghar on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway in Thane with Balavali in Raigad. It will pass through Mumbai, Thane and Raigad.

The 14-lane expressway will go a long mile in boosting connectivity. It will reduce travel time between Virar and Alibaug by 50%. Since it will pass through the Mumbai-Satara Highway, it will also act as a shortcut between various areas in MMR and Goa.

The development of the Virar-Alibaug Multimodal corridor will have a transformative impact on Mumbai real estate. By improving connectivity between various regions, this corridor will create new opportunities for growth. It will improve connectivity in key residential and industrial regions of Panvel, Uran, Kalyan, Taloja, Kalyan-Shil Road, Virar, Vasai and Pen.

The improved connectivity will open up regions like Panvel, Kalyan-Shil road, Ulwe, Vasai and many more. All these regions will be attractive options for affordable residential and commercial properties. Families and professionals seeking cost-effective yet quality housing solutions will find these areas appealing.

At Marathon Group, we already realized the potential of these regions a decade back. We knew that regions like Panvel and Kalyan-Shil are on the cusp of great infrastructural development. We started building affordable township projects along these locations.

Marathon Nexzone is a township project at Panvel offering affordable and ultra-luxurious flats with valley views. It has 1 BHK, 2 BHK and 2.5 BHK homes with open spaces and recreational amenities like a swimming pool, clubhouse, gymnasium, and jogging track. Guess what? It is 10 mins away from the Navi Mumbai aerotropolis region. Hence, when you stay at Nexzone, you stay in the middle of this one-of-a-kind infrastructure development in India.

In September 2020, the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation was handed over the responsibility of constructing the Virar Alibagh Multimodal corridor. Since then, the project has progressed significantly.

In June 2021, MSRDC received environment clearance for an 18-km section. Approximately 5000 trees are expected to be cut and 221 hectares of forest land will be diverted. The land acquisition for Phase 2 of the project is ongoing.

As this project takes shape, many micro markets like Panvel, Kalyan-Shil, Virar and Vasai will flourish. Marathon is at the forefront of recognizing these opportunities, creating townships like Nextown and Nexworld that are not just situated at fast-growing locations but also elevate your living experience.

Mumbai: The World Bank may fund the Virar-Alibaug multi-modal corridor as chief minister Devendra Fadnavis will approach the former for the project, according to a senior Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) official. The detailed project report (DPR) will be ready by the end of June while the project will be completed by 2024.

The project requires around 1,172 hectares of land. Officials said that the tendering process for the corridor should begin by January 2019. Work on the corridor between Navghar in Virar and Alibaug in Raigad district will be completed in phases. The first phase is a 98km stretch between Navghar and Jite near Panvel while the second phase is a 28km stretch from Jite to Alibaug. The 30m-wide corridor will have a metro line in the middle, four lanes for bus rapid transport system (BRTS) and the rest for normal traffic.

The corridor will house two metro lines, the construction of which will commence once road works near completion. The estimated cost of constructing the highway (phase one) is Rs 10,000 crore. The proposed corridor is likely to provide connectivity to areas such as Panvel, Virar, Bhiwandi, Kalyan, Uran, Pen and Alibaug. The total cost of the project is Rs 22,300 crore, of which, Rs 8,000 crore will be spent on land acquisition.

Meanwhile, the MMRDA may scrap the plan of constructing an elevated road through the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) as the wildlife board has recommended that the authority look for alternative routes.

The Western Railway Elevated Corridor, also known as the Oval Maidan-Virar elevated corridor, was a proposed rapid transit corridor that would have run along the same alignment as the Western Line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway, and link Oval Maidan with Virar.

The Western railway elevated corridor was first proposed in the 2007 Railway Budget presented by then Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav.[1] The technical feasibility report for the project was prepared by Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) and the French firm Systra.[2] On 23 August 2012, Western Railway (WR) held a planning meeting with potentially interested parties at Churchgate station. The meeting included 20 companies including Reliance infrastructure, Gammon, IL&FS, Essar and GMR.[3] According to Sharat Chandrayan, CPRO of WR, "The road-show was mainly to explain requirements for the project to prospective bidders and to understand their suggestions before bidding takes place".[4] A delay occurred in signing of the State Support Agreement (SSA) between WR and the Government of Maharashtra due to differences of opinion between the State Government, the Planning Commission and the railways[5] on issues related to FSI, land acquisition, shifting of underground utilities and commercial use of land.[6] The SSA is the state's commitment to help Railways in land acquisition, shifting utility services on time and attaining more FSI to help developers generate funds. WR demanded an FSI of five for 13 land parcels across the city, in order to optimise commercial development of its existing plots as major source of funds for the project. However, the state government expressed reservations in granting an FSI up to four, saying that it would permit need-based FSI only. The project is planned to be implemented as a joint public-private partnership (PPP) project of the railways, the state government and private organisation on Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) basis.[7]

The state government clarified it would not permit a higher FSI for the project, and lobbied for its own Mumbai Metro project.[12] The state government opposes the elevated rail corridor project, arguing that the proposed Line 3 of the Mumbai Metro Metro project between Colaba and SEEPZ follows the same route.[12] Following the November meeting, WR commissioned RITES to conduct a study on passenger volume projections if the route were shortened. The state government had suggested that the corridor be terminated at Bandra. The study found that terminating the corridor at Bandra would result in 40% reduction in passenger volume, which would make the project financially unviable.[13]

The 2014 Rail Budget presented by railway minister Mallikarjun Kharge did not mention the elevated corridor, drawing criticism from railway officials and commuters who had been following the project.[15] In April 2014, the Railway Board instructed WR to halt all work they had undertaken with regards to the project. Subodh Jain, member (engineering) of the Railway Board, stated, "The Oval Maidan-Virar elevated corridor has gone cold due to lack of interest by the state government." The Ministry of Railways shelved the project stating that until the government shows interest in the project, there was no need to carry out any work.[16] Following a change at the centre and a new Railway Minister, after the 2014 general elections, there was renewed interest in the project. Chairman of Railway Board Arunendra Kumar and the Chief Secretary of Maharashtra J. Saharia met on 14 June 2014 to discuss the future of the project.[17] On 8 January 2015, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu announced that the elevated corridor and the CST-Panvel corridor would be implemented.[18] According to a new proposal, a 6-lane road will be constructed on the same pier as the elevated rail corridors.[19]

In March 2015, the Railways suggested terminating the south-end of the line at Andheri, in response to the Maharashtra Government's concern that extending the line to Oval Maidan or Churchgate would be complicated. Due to space constraints in South Mumbai, the southern section of the line was planned to be underground from Oval Maidan to Mahalaxmi. However, the proposed Line 3 of the Mumbai Metro would pass through the same area, requiring the construction of a tunnel at greater depth for the WR corridor. The presence of several listed heritage buildings in the area also made the task more difficult.[20] On 5 May 2015, DNA reported that an announcement to scrap the project was expected to come soon. The paper quoted a senior railway official as stating that the project "still remained in limbo as the state and the railways couldn't sign the State Support Agreement since May 2012."[21]

In August 2016, Chief Minister Fadnavis announced that the state government had approved the SSA. He also stated that the project had received in-principle clearance from the NITI Aayog.[23] According to railway officials, tenders for work on the project may only be floated by the end of 2017.[24] In December 2017, the Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal stated that the project would not be implemented because it was financially unviable.[25]

It will consist of a 63.27 km two-track elevated corridor running above the existing Western Line, occasionally going underground and at ground level. The elevated sections will be 15 to 20 m above the ground, and higher at Andheri in order to clear the new Mumbai Metro station.[26] The corridor was initially proposed to go underground for 8.04 km from Oval Maidan to Mahalaxmi. Between Mahalaxmi and Borivali, the line will be elevated for 25.22 km and then at grade for 2.20 km. In the final stretch, between Borivali and Virar, 17.50 km would be elevated and 10.31 km would be at grade. Approximately, 42.72 km of the corridor was to be elevated, 8.04 km would be underground and the remaining 12.52 km at grade.[27]

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