People who travel daily on Ghodbunder Road might finally get some relief from the endless traffic jams. Maharashtra’s Transport Minister, Pratap Sarnaik, recently announced that all ongoing work on this
major stretch will be completed by early 2026. He made this statement while reviewing the progress of several projects at the Thane Municipal Corporation’s Late Arvind Pendse Hall.
However, Thane Municipal Commissioner Saurabh Rao offered a more practical timeline, stating that around 90 per cent of the work is expected to be completed by the end of December, with the remaining portion to be finished by February 2026.
Thane Municipal Commissioner Sets Practical Deadline
According to Rao, the deadline for completing the Ghodbunder Road concretisation project, which costs around Rs 560 crore, has been extended by a few more months. The announcement was made during a review meeting attended by several key officials, including MMRDA Joint Metropolitan Commissioner Astik Kumar Pandey, Additional Commissioner Prashant Rode, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) (Traffic) Pankaj Shirsat, City Engineer Prashant Sonagra, and representatives from MMRDA, Metro, PWD, MHADA, and the Collectorate.
As per Hindustan Times, Saurabh Rao said, “Ninety per cent of the work on the route will be completed by the end of December, with the remaining finishing touches completed by February 2026. From the new year, motorists can expect smoother traffic flow on GB Road.”
Activists Raise Concerns Over Safety And Planning
During the meeting, social activists also raised serious concerns about the poor planning and unsafe conditions at the ongoing construction sites. Activist Shraddha Rai pointed out that the civic and transport departments were not paying enough attention to safety, and the work was moving forward without proper precautions.
She also asked the Thane Municipal Corporation to fix all the flyovers and the Gaimukh Ghat stretch simultaneously. According to her, doing everything together will help avoid repeated roadblocks and reduce trouble for commuters who already face heavy traffic every day.
Traffic Police Highlight Bottlenecks Route
DCP Pankaj Shirsath explained that Ghodbunder Road has several traffic bottlenecks. Due to the ongoing work between Kapurbawdi and Gaimukh, only one lane of the service road remains open at many points, causing slow vehicle movement. In some sections, metro construction has further added to the delays. He mentioned that after 3 a.m., heavy vehicles start moving along this route, often resulting in heavy jams at Gaimukh Ghat. The congestion usually takes until around 8 or 9 a.m. to clear.
