Kalyan: In a major breakthrough in the long-pending widening of the Kalyan-Shilphata Road, one of the busiest traffic corridors in Thane district, compensation letters were handed over to affected landowners on Tuesday. The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has approved Rs 138.45 crore as compensation for landowners whose properties are affected by the project, clearing a major hurdle in the road’s six-laning and concretisation.The development comes at a crucial time as the Kalyan-Shilphata corridor is also witnessing major metro expansion through Metro lines 12 and 12A. Metro Line 12, connecting Kalyan with Taloja, is being developed as an important mass-transit corridor for the rapidly growing Kalyan-Dombivli and Navi Mumbai region, while Metro Line 12A is proposed along the Kalyan-Shilphata corridor. The road widening is expected to facilitate the execution of the metro projects and improve integration between road and metro transport infrastructure.The compensation letters were handed over to the affected landowners in the presence of Kalyan Lok Sabha MP Dr Shrikant Shinde and Kalyan rural MLA Rajesh More. MSRDC managing director Anilkumar Gaikwad handed over the letters.The land acquisition and compensation issue had remained unresolved for nearly 35 years, with affected farmers and landowners opposing construction work until they received compensation for their acquired land. The latest decision is expected to remove a major bottleneck that had delayed widening work on several stretches.Shinde had held several meetings with the state govt and concerned agencies to resolve the long-standing compensation issue, while More pursued the matter at the administrative level.The Kalyan-Shilphata Road carries heavy traffic throughout the day, particularly around Katai Naka, Palava Chowk and Shilphata. Thousands of commuters from Kalyan-Dombivli, Ambernath and Badlapur use the corridor to travel towards Navi Mumbai, Thane and Mumbai. Delays in widening work have contributed to severe congestion and increased travel time for motorists.According to officials, the approved compensation will be distributed to the remaining affected farmers and landowners shortly. The remaining tranche of compensation is also expected to be released soon.With the land acquisition hurdle now being addressed, the six-laning and concretisation work is expected to gain significant momentum. Once completed, the upgraded road is expected to improve traffic flow, reduce travel time and fuel consumption and provide substantial relief to commuters.
