The Maharashtra government has approved the construction of Metro Line 13, a 25.03-km corridor connecting Mira-Bhayandar with Vasai-Virar, at an estimated cost of INR 17,724.99 crore. The decision was taken by the Cabinet Infrastructure Committee chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. 
The corridor will pass through Thane and Palghar districts and will be implemented by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). Of its total length, 21.78 km will be elevated and 3.25 km will run underground. The line will have 16 stations, including 13 elevated and three underground stations. 
Metro Line 13 will connect key areas including Mira Road, Vasai, Nalasopara, Naigaon and Virar. It will also provide interchange and connectivity with suburban railway stations at Naigaon, Nalasopara and Virar. At the Mira-Bhayandar end, the line is proposed to connect with Metro Line 9 at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Ground. 
The project includes a 4.92-km integrated six-lane road-and-metro bridge across Vasai Creek, providing a connection to Panju Island. A metro depot is also planned at Chikhal Dongari in Palghar district. Bus services are proposed at all stations to support last-mile connectivity. 
Around 24.84 hectares of land will be required for the project. Fadnavis has directed the authorities to complete land acquisition and access roads within the next six months. The metro corridor is targeted for completion within five years of approval. 
The line is projected to carry around 4.49 lakh passengers a day by 2031. According to the government, the corridor could reduce travel time by about 50 per cent compared with road travel. It is also expected to reduce reliance on private vehicles and traffic pressure on major national highways, while helping lower carbon emissions. 
Metro Line 13 has been under development as part of MMRDA's wider expansion of the regional metro network. The authority's project information continues to list the Mira-Bhayander-to-Virar corridor as an ongoing project. Earlier versions of the proposal had a different alignment and configuration, with the revised plan introducing an underground section and changes intended to improve connectivity and ridership potential. 
The corridor is also expected to strengthen links between the western parts of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and Mumbai's suburban network. MMRDA has separately identified Metro Line 9 as a connection between Dahisar and Mira-Bhayander, with the upcoming Line 13 planned to extend the wider network towards Vasai-Virar. 
In a separate infrastructure decision, the Cabinet Infrastructure Committee approved the revised project cost of INR 10,502.36 crore for the eastern expansion of the Pune Ring Road. The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) will implement the project. 
The eastern expansion will cover a 31.805-km access-controlled expressway between Sortapwadi (Valti) on the Pune-Solapur Road and Varve (Budruk)-Shivare on the Pune-Satara Road. The project is intended to divert inter-state and inter-city traffic away from Pune's urban areas and reduce congestion within the city. 
The full Pune Ring Road project is planned over 168.981 km. Once the entire route is connected, it will operate as an integrated access-controlled corridor. Around 80 per cent of the land acquisition has already been completed, while the overall project is targeted for completion by June 2029. 
The road will have three lanes in each direction and a design speed limit of 120 kmph. Its infrastructure will include one interchange, three major bridges, five minor bridges, 18 viaducts or flyovers and four tunnels. 
The project also provides for tree plantation along both sides of the road and landscaping around the interchange. These measures form part of the planned road development alongside the main access-controlled carriageway. 
Together, the two approvals cover major transport links in the Mumbai and Pune regions. While Metro Line 13 is focused on improving public transport connectivity across the growing Mira-Bhayandar and Vasai-Virar areas, the Pune Ring Road expansion is intended to move longer-distance traffic away from the city's internal road network. 
Source PTI