With monsoon approaching and necessary forest department permissions still pending, the concretization of Gaimukh Ghat Road will not be completed before the rains. To prevent severe traffic congestion during the rainy season, Thane Municipal Commissioner Saurabh Rao has directed the Public Works Department (PWD) to carry out immediate repairs and resurfacing of the road with asphalt.
The stretch from Gaimukh Ghat to Fountain Hotel has been handed over to the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation. However, the responsibility for concretizing Gaimukh Ghat Road was taken up earlier by the PWD, and the tendering process has already been completed. Once forest department approvals are secured, work orders will be issued, the PWD confirmed. Given the delays, Commissioner Rao instructed that the road be repaired and resurfaced as a temporary measure before the monsoon.
High-Level Meeting Addresses Ghodbunder Road Issues
A coordination meeting was held at the municipal headquarters to address various issues affecting Ghodbunder Road residents. The session, chaired by Commissioner Rao, included representatives from ‘Justice for Ghodbunder Road’ forum, senior civic officials, traffic police officers from Thane, Mira-Bhayandar, and Navi Mumbai, as well as representatives from Metro, MMRDA, and the PWD.
The forum's representatives were briefed on the status of Gaimukh Ghat Road. Since concretization will not start before the monsoon, they urged authorities to ensure the road remains traffic-worthy for all vehicles during the rainy season. They also cautioned against adding Gaimukh Road work to the ongoing Metro, service road integration, and flyover construction at Bhayanderpada and Kasarvadavali. Commissioner Rao assured them that approvals from the forest department’s Nagpur office were being followed up and directed the PWD to take immediate steps for road resurfacing.
Kasarvadavali Flyover Work to Be Completed by March-End
Regarding the Kasarvadavali flyover, Metro authorities were instructed to complete all related work by March 30-31. The PWD will then undertake road repairs on April 5-6, with full cooperation from traffic police.
Increase in Traffic Wardens Planned
Discussions also covered increasing the number of traffic wardens. Commissioner Rao directed the Metro and PWD to resolve payment-related issues and deploy additional wardens for traffic control. Large housing societies, malls, schools, and commercial establishments along Ghodbunder Road will also be asked to deploy at least one warden outside their premises to aid traffic management. A notice regarding this will be issued by the civic body’s urban development department.
Heavy Vehicles Restricted to Night Hours
To ease congestion during monsoon, the forum suggested that heavy vehicle movement on Ghodbunder Road be restricted to post-9 PM. Coordination with Mumbai and Navi Mumbai authorities for controlling incoming heavy vehicles was also recommended. Commissioner Rao asked the traffic department to discuss the feasibility of this proposal.
Action Against RMC Plant, Weekly Markets to Be Regulated
Meanwhile, Commissioner Rao clarified that instructions have been given to stop work at the RMC plant in Anandnagar as it lacks necessary permissions.Additionally, weekly markets will be required to clean up their premises post-operations, with vendors mandated to participate in the cleanup. The feasibility of allowing a weekly market at Anand Nagar ground is being assessed.
Other key topics discussed included pending infrastructure projects, CCTV network expansion, road repairs near traffic signals, and improving coordination among agencies during excavation work.