Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday announced that the state will prioritise the construction of 145 railway overbridges (ROBs) over the next three years as part of a major infrastructure push aimed at eliminating railway level crossings and improving road safety.
The announcement was made during the inauguration of a four-lane road overbridge at Vardhaman Nagar railway crossing and eight other infrastructure projects worth INR 484 crore. The projects have been developed by the Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (MahaRail).
Highlighting the need for safer transport infrastructure, Fadnavis said railway level crossings are responsible for nearly 21,000 deaths annually across the country. He said Maharashtra has identified 524 locations requiring overbridges, with approvals already granted for 121 high-traffic crossings and another 145 locations that will be taken up on priority.
The announcement is expected to benefit the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) as well, where MahaRail is executing several major railway overbridge projects to improve connectivity and reduce congestion. These include the Prabhadevi and Sewree road overbridges, the under-construction double-decker railway overbridge at Elphinstone, and multiple bridge projects in Thane, aimed at enhancing road safety and easing traffic movement.
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