Virar: Commuters travelling between Virar and Vaitarna stations in Palghar district are set to benefit from smoother and safer road connectivity after the Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (MahaRail/MRIDC) opened a new four-lane Road Over Bridge (ROB) at Railway Crossing-41 on Friday.
The ROB, inaugurated by Maharashtra Forest Minister and Palghar Guardian Minister Ganesh Naik, has been constructed on the Narangi Bypass Road and is expected to significantly reduce traffic congestion caused by frequent railway gate closures in the fast-growing Virar-Vaitarna belt.
Built at a cost of approximately ₹102 crore, the bridge spans 782 metres and features a four-lane carriageway designed to ease vehicular movement across one of the region’s busy railway crossings. The project has been executed under the leadership of MahaRail Managing Director Rajesh Kumar Jaiswal as part of the state government’s larger push to make Maharashtra “railway crossing-free” by replacing level crossings with grade-separated infrastructure.
Officials said the project has been funded through a 50:50 cost-sharing arrangement between the Ministry of Railways and the Government of Maharashtra, reflecting increasing coordination between the Centre and the state on transport infrastructure projects.
The opening of the ROB is expected to provide relief to daily commuters, transport vehicles and local residents who previously faced long delays at the railway crossing, particularly during peak suburban train hours on the Western Railway corridor.
MahaRail, a joint venture between the Government of Maharashtra and the Ministry of Railways, has been undertaking several Road Over Bridges (ROBs), Road Under Bridges (RUBs) and Limited Height Subways (LHS) across the state to improve connectivity and reduce accidents at railway crossings.
The Virar-Vaitarna ROB is also likely to support future urban and industrial growth in the rapidly expanding Palghar region, where traffic volumes have increased substantially over the past decade due to rising residential development and suburban expansion.
