Overview
- Union minister Piyush Goyal said land acquisition, saltpan transfers, and CRZ, environment and forest clearances are in place for the Virar extension, with construction to begin soon.
- The existing corridor runs from Marine Drive to Worli, with phased extensions planned to Versova and Virar that are expected to cut Nariman Point–Virar travel to about 35–40 minutes.
- Goyal chaired a high-level review with the BMC, MMRDA, district collectors, MHADA, the Public Works Department, and police to coordinate execution.
- Linked projects were advanced, with the Madh–Versova bridge fast-tracked and the Borivali–Thane tunnel expected to commence within roughly two months.
- Immediate directives target north Mumbai bottlenecks and services, including Western Express Highway curbs on heavy private vehicles, identifiable tags for 108 Metro and garbage trucks, action on fake municipal identifiers, lake rejuvenation, pipeline repairs in Gorai and Charkop, 79 pay‑and‑use toilets, developer blacklisting, and tougher enforcement on mangrove encroachment and illegal dumping.