MMRDA appoints contractors for projects worth Rs 12,500 cr in Mumbai, Thane

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority has appointed contractors for nine infrastructure projects worth Rs 12,500 crore in and around Mumbai, including the extension of the Eastern Freeway up to Thane. In a release on Thursday, MMRDA said that the executive committee of the urban planning body chaired by Maharashtra Chief Secretary Sujata Sainik approved these projects "to alleviate traffic congestion and enhance connectivity". MMRDA prepares plans, formulates policies and programmes, and implements projects, besides helping in directing investments in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), which is spread over 6,328 sq km and comprises nine municipal corporations. The projects for which the contractors have been appointed include the Rs 2,727-crore Balkum-Gaimukh Thane Coastal Road that will run for 13.45 km, a creek bridge and a road from Kasarvadavali (Thane) to Kharbao (Bhiwandi) that will cover 3.93 km and come up at Rs 1,525.31 crore. The 12.95-km-long extension