Mumbai: Travel between Goregaon and Airoli could take less than 20 minutes once the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) proposed double-decker cable-stayed bridge is completed. The 1.6-km flyover will connect Nahur with Airoli and form the final phase of the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR).

The bridge will run above and parallel to the existing freeway, beginning near Nahur railway station and merging with the road near the Airoli toll plaza. The project is designed to provide an alternative route for vehicles travelling between Mumbai’s western suburbs and the eastern parts of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

Vehicles arriving from Goregaon through the GMLR’s underground tunnel will be able to access the new bridge directly, avoiding the existing Nahur-Airoli flyover, which often experiences congestion during peak hours. Traffic from Thane and Vashi will be able to access the structure through four cloverleaf arms, allowing direct movement towards the tunnels leading to Goregaon.

The project is part of the 12.2-km GMLR, an ambitious BMC initiative involving tunnels, flyovers and bridges to improve east-west connectivity.

The project has been approved, with the BMC appointing Veermata Jijabai Institute of Technology (VJTI) last month to conduct a feasibility study and audit the plan. The bridge is estimated to cost Rs 1,354.52 crore, while VJTI will be paid Rs 6 crore for the audit.

The BMC has targeted October 2030 for completion. Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) Abhijit Bangar said the project aims to reduce pressure on the existing bridge and create seamless connectivity between Goregaon and Airoli.