'Paatal Lok' tunnel network to ease Mumbai traffic: Fadnavis

Mumbai, Nov 24 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said his government is creating a vast underground network of tunnels across Mumbai to ease congestion, describing it in a lighter vein as "Paatal Lok", a parallel road system.

"Paatal Lok" term has been popularised by a Hindi web series noted for its depiction of the netherworld. Fadnavis used the term to describe the proposed underground road network.

The planned tunnel grid would cover the city in multiple directions, Fadnavis said at IIMUN's (India's International Movement to Unite Nations) Youth Connect session.

"We are creating a 'Paatal Lok', a widespread network of tunnels across Mumbai city for complete decongestion," he said, adding that it would function as a shadow network to existing arterial routes.

"It will be a parallel network to existing roads," the chief minister said, noting that expanding Metro corridors would complement the plan.

The CM said the coastal road from south Mumbai to Bhayandar (in Thane district) would act as a barrier-free parallel route to the Western Express Highway.

"Sixty per cent of Mumbai moves on the Western Expressway. Until you decongest it, there is no solution," he said. "We are creating a network of parallel roads...where your average speed will be 80 km per hour," he said.

Fadnavis listed multiple tunnel projects under construction, including Thane-Borivali and Mulund-Goregaon. "This would improve the east-west connectivity," he said.

A parallel road between Borivali and Goregaon and the Worli-Shivdi connector, expected next year, would provide seamless movement from the Atal Setu to the Bandra-Worli Sea Link.

Fadnavis said the tunnel linking the Atal Setu to Girgaon Chowpatty via the Eastern Express Highway would be completed in three years. "It will be a solution to the current traffic jams," he added.

A proposed tunnel from Bandra to the Bandra Kurla Complex will improve access to the domestic airport. "From south Mumbai to the domestic airport, people will reach in 20 minutes," he said.

Fadnavis said an integrated Mumbai One app has been launched to enable a common ticket for Metro rail, suburban local trains and BEST buses.

"Nearly 90 lakh people travel daily through suburban trains. Despite so many changes, the fare will not be increased by a single rupee for the second class," he assured, adding that all suburban services would progressively become air-conditioned. PTI ND GK