G'bunder h'way widening may hit Metro stn landings, bus stops
Thane: The fate of several public infrastructure facilities along Thane's Ghodbunder Road — including two
(FoBs), 28 Metro station landings, and new decorative bus shelters — hangs in the balance as the ongoing highway widening project threatens to dismantle them.A TOI spot survey between Bhayanderpada and Kapurbawdi found that the landings for Metro 4 stations at Bhayanderpada, Owala, and Panchamrut are nearing completion and are positioned on medians, which are set to be removed.
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The remaining landings are yet to be built. Ironically, both the Metro and
project are being executed by
, raising questions about planning oversight.Locals and traffic police expressed concern over the conflicting designs, as both the existing Manpada and Tatwagyan Vidyapeeth FoBs also land on medians, which may require them to be extended or relocated. Newly built theme-based pedestrian and bus shelters along the median on the highway could also be dismantled.It may be recalled that the Metro 4 planning and execution started in 2017, while the extension of the Ghodbunder highway was proposed in 2023 during the tenure of CM Eknath Shinde, and works started last year.
An MMRDA statement confirmed that 28 of the 30 Metro entry/exit structures on Ghodbunder highway were designed to land on the median between the main road and service lanes. A response on what will happen to these structures once the medians are removed was still awaited."Either these structures will be razed, or pedestrians will have to dangerously cross the highway to access them — both outcomes waste taxpayer money," a resident pointed out. Thane traffic police admitted that pedestrian access could be affected, but said they have not been briefed on any corrective measures.Transport minister and Owala-Majiwada MLA Pratap Sarnaik said he has raised the issue with MMRDA. "I will ensure the FoBs at Tatwagyan and Manpada are extended to reach the footpaths. Future FoBs will land at the highway's outer edges. The Metro bridge landing points will also need to be looked into," he added. Earlier, TOI had reported how Metro 4 construction threatened five FoBs between Modella Check Naka and Manpada. The MMRDA preserved them at the time — whether that will happen again remains to be seen.Thane: The fate of several public infrastructure facilities along Thane's Ghodbunder Road — including two foot overbridges (FoBs), 28 Metro station landings, and new decorative bus shelters — hangs in the balance as the ongoing highway widening project threatens to dismantle them.A TOI spot survey between Bhayanderpada and Kapurbawdi found that the landings for Metro 4 stations at Bhayanderpada, Owala, and Panchamrut are nearing completion and are positioned on medians, which are set to be removed. The remaining landings are yet to be built. Ironically, both the Metro and Ghodbunder highway widening project are being executed by MMRDA, raising questions about planning oversight.Locals and traffic police expressed concern over the conflicting designs, as both the existing Manpada and Tatwagyan Vidyapeeth FoBs also land on medians, which may require them to be extended or relocated. Newly built theme-based pedestrian and bus shelters along the median on the highway could also be dismantled.It may be recalled that the Metro 4 planning and execution started in 2017, while the extension of the Ghodbunder highway was proposed in 2023 during the tenure of CM Eknath Shinde, and works started last year. An MMRDA statement confirmed that 28 of the 30 Metro entry/exit structures on Ghodbunder highway were designed to land on the median between the main road and service lanes. A response on what will happen to these structures once the medians are removed was still awaited."Either these structures will be razed, or pedestrians will have to dangerously cross the highway to access them — both outcomes waste taxpayer money," a resident pointed out. Thane traffic police admitted that pedestrian access could be affected, but said they have not been briefed on any corrective measures.Transport minister and Owala-Majiwada MLA Pratap Sarnaik said he has raised the issue with MMRDA. "I will ensure the FoBs at Tatwagyan and Manpada are extended to reach the footpaths. Future FoBs will land at the highway's outer edges. The Metro bridge landing points will also need to be looked into," he added. Earlier, TOI had reported how Metro 4 construction threatened five FoBs between Modella Check Naka and Manpada. The MMRDA preserved them at the time — whether that will happen again remains to be seen.
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