Mumbai, Aug 18 — In a major push to boost transportation across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and ease severe traffic congestion in Pune, the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure, chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, on Tuesday approved two major infrastructure projects: Metro Line 13 (Mira Bhayander to Vasai‑Virar) and the eastern extension of the Pune Ring Road (Sortapwadi to Varve‑Shivare).
Passing through Thane and Palghar districts, Metro Line 13 (Mira Bhayander to Vasai‑Virar) will be executed by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) at an estimated total cost of Rs 17,724.99 crore. The line is 25.03 km long, comprising 21.78 km of elevated tracks and 3.25 km of underground tracks. Out of 16 proposed stations, 13 will be elevated and three underground.
The project includes a 4.92 km integrated double‑decker structure over Vasai Creek connecting Panju Island, featuring a six‑lane (3+3) road alongside the metro line. A metro depot is proposed at Chikhal Dongri. The line will connect key areas including Mira Road, Vasai, Nalasopara, Naigaon, and Virar.
The metro line will seamlessly integrate with the Naigaon, Nalasopara, and Virar suburban railway stations, while offering an interchange with Metro Line 9 at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Stadium. Feeder bus services are planned at all stations. The project requires 24.84 hectares of land acquisition and is scheduled for completion within five years from approval.
CM Fadnavis instructed officials to complete land acquisition and access road construction within the next six months. Daily ridership on Metro Line 13 is projected to reach approximately 4.49 lakh passengers by 2031.
The project is expected to cut travel time by 50 pc compared to road transport, reduce private vehicle usage and highway congestion, lower carbon emissions, and strengthen connectivity between industrial, logistics, and suburban centres.
Further, to mitigate traffic congestion in Pune, the government granted administrative approval for the revised cost proposal of Rs 10,502.36 crore for the eastern extension of the Pune Ring Road. The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) will implement the project.
A 31.805 km access‑controlled expressway will stretch from Sortapwadi (Valti) on the Pune‑Solapur Road to Varve Budruk (Shivare) on the Pune‑Satara Road. The project aims to divert interstate and intrastate transit traffic away from Pune city limits to ease urban bottlenecks.
Once integrated, the entire 168.981 km Ring Road network will form a continuous access‑controlled bypass. Land acquisition is 80 pc complete, with project completion targeted for June 2029. The expressway will feature six lanes (three on each side) with a design speed limit of 120 km/h.
Key structural features include one interchange, three major bridges, five minor bridges, 18 elevated structures or flyovers, and four tunnels, along with roadside afforestation and landscaping at interchanges, said the government release.