PM to lay foundation stones of projects worth Rs 29k cr during Mumbai visit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch, dedicate to the nation and lay foundation stones of projects costing more than Rs 29,400 crore at a function at NESCO Exhibition Centre in Goregaon during his visit to Mumbai on Saturday, officials said.

The PM will lay foundation stones of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority's (MMRDA) Thane-Borivali and the BMC's Goregaon Mulund Link Road projects, both of which have twin tunnels. "He will lay the foundation stone for Central Railway's Kalyan yard remodelling and the Gati Shakti MultiModal Cargo Terminal at Turbhe in Navi Mumbai.

He will dedicate to the nation new platforms at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus and extension of platforms 10 and 11 at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus," an official said. An MMRDA spokesperson said the Thane- Borivali Tunnel Project is being built at a cost of Rs 16,600 crore, adding the twin tube tunnels passing under Sanjay Gandhi National Park will create a direct connection between Western Express Highway at Borivali and Ghodbunder Road in Thane.

The 11.8 kilometre long Borivali Thane Link Road will reduce the journey from Thane to Borivali by 12 kilometres and save one hour in travel time, he added.

"The twin tunnels of the Rs 6300 crore Goregaon Mulund Link Road (GMLR) project will connect Western Express Highway at Goregaon to Eastern Express Highway at Mulund. The project will bring down the travel time to 25 minutes from the current 75 minutes," a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation official said.

A Central Railway official said remodelling of Kalyan Yard will help segregate suburban and long distance train traffic on the highly congested network in the Mumbai metropolitan region, which will improve punctuality and operational efficiency.

"The Gati Shakti MultiModal Cargo Terminal will enhance capacity to handle cement and other commodities while creating job opportunities in the region. The new platforms at LTT will be able to accommodate more trains, while extended platforms number 10 and 11 at CSMT will help in the running of 24-coach trains. Both these developments will increase ridership," he said.

The prime minister, during his visit to the metropolis, will also launch the 'Mukhyamantri Yuva Karya Prashikshan Yojana', which has an outlay of Rs 5600 crore. He will visit the Indian Newspaper Society (INS) Secretariat at Bandra Kurla Complex here to inaugurate the INS Towers, officials said.