Wi-Fi being mulled on Expressway
You may soon be able to access Wi-Fi connectivity on the 95-km-long Mumbai-Pune Expressway, as the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) is mulling over installing towers for having Wi-Fi connectivity of the expressway.
The MSRDC says this is a part of the smart city corridors programme for which the corporation has been made the special planning authority (SPA) of the 73 villages along the expressway.
Earlier, the state government had designated the MSRDC to be SPA for 84 villages. However, 11 villages were removed after they were found being part of Navi Mumbai Airport Influence Notified Area (Naina).
“The idea is to install towers on the whole stretch and we have also received proposals from the six companies who are willing to help out for installing towers for the Wi-Fi. However, we will have to consider many things like the feasibility of the project and for it we will have to appoint consultants. The issue was also discussed in the board meeting carried out on Wednesday and we will soon take a decision on the same,” said an MSRDC official.
The MSRDC has also appointed a Korean company who carried out a feasibility study on the 23 land parcels of MSRDC on the expressway wherein the corporation is planning to have IT hubs, tourist spots and residential complexes.
In addition, the corporation is also carrying out a pre-monsoon survey to avoid traffic jams caused due to landslides during monsoons and it is also going to carry out rock bolting and installing of nets on the hilly slopes at various stretches.
It has come out with a Rs 12.1-crore tender to design and carry out the execution of rocks identified as rock fall risk areas as a mitigation measure. Last year, there were two grave incidents of landsliding at Bor Ghat, which is located at the entrance of Adoshi Tunnel.