Second tunnel on Freeway to be completed by Dec.
The lining and excavation work of the 580-metre-long second tunnel at Anik on the Eastern Freeway is nearing completion and it is expected to be open for public by the year-end. The MMRDA had earlier maintained that the tunnel would be thrown open by August. With the progress of the second tunnel, the 2.81-km long Panjarpol-Ghatkopar Link Road will also be completed by December. MMRDA, the nodal agency for the construction and maintenance of the tunnels, said that the completion of the second tunnel would spell good news for motorists. One of the twin tunnels at Anik has already been opened for traffic.
“Once the lining and excavation work is complete, the four-lane tunnel will be provided with a drainage system, road surfacing, electrification and ventilation and will be ready in December for speedy commute on the Eastern Freeway,” said Ashwini Bhide, additional metropolitan commissioner, MMRDA. She further added, “The work on the 2.81 km-long Panjarpol-Ghatkopar Link Road is also simultaneously being carried out in all zest and urgency so that it is completed by December.”
The recently opened 13.59 km-long Eastern Freeway has already proved to be a boon for motorists travelling from or to South Mumbai.
“The tunnel and the Panjarpol-Ghatkopar Link Road are crucial parts of the Eastern Freeway. The entire 16.4-km-long Freeway will be another option for motorists travelling towards the eastern suburbs, Thane, Nasik and further, apart from the Eastern Express Highway,” said Dilip Kawathkar, joint project director (PR), MMRDA. While the 9.29 km-long Part I and 2.81 km-long Part III of the Eastern Freeway are completely elevated, the 4.3-km-long Part II of this project has 550-metre-long twin tunnels. These twin tunnels are the first of its kind in the country.
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