The state Cabinet’s Infrastructure Committee on Tuesday cleared infrastructure projects worth Rs 22,611 crore in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), including a tunnel and elevated road linking Thane and Bhayandar and two extensions of the Navi Mumbai Metro network.

Of the total outlay, Rs 17,036 crore has been approved for the Gaimukh-Fountain Hotel tunnel and Fountain Hotel-Bhayandar elevated corridor, while Rs 5,575 crore has been sanctioned for Navi Mumbai Metro Line 1A and Metro Line 2.

The approvals were granted at a meeting of the Cabinet Infrastructure Committee chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

According to the government, a 5.86-km six-lane tunnel will be constructed between Gaimukh and Fountain Hotel on Ghodbunder Road, while a 9.58-km, six-lane elevated road will connect Fountain Hotel and Bhayandar.

The government said the project is aimed at reducing congestion on Ghodbunder Road and providing faster connectivity between western Mumbai and Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli, Nashik, Panvel and National Highway 48.

The tunnel will be constructed using Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) technology and will have a diameter of 14 metres. The government has set a target of completing the tunnel in about five years.

The elevated road, which will run parallel to Vasai Creek, is expected to allow vehicle speeds of up to 100 kmph.

Officials said the project would help reduce the burden on Ghodbunder Road and divert traffic, particularly heavy vehicles travelling towards Thane and Gujarat, through an alternative corridor.

The project will be implemented under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model through a public-private partnership. The Centre and the state government will provide viability gap funding for the project.

The Cabinet committee also approved the appointment of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) as a special planning authority for the project area.

In a separate decision, the committee approved CIDCO’s Navi Mumbai Metro Line 1A between Sagar Sangam and CBD Belapur and Metro Line 2 between Pendhar and Navi Mumbai International Airport Terminal 4.

The two projects will create a continuous 28-km Metro corridor from Sagar Sangam to Navi Mumbai International Airport.

The expansion includes two stations on Metro Line 1A and 11 stations on Metro Line 2.

The government said the extended Metro network is expected to serve around 12 lakh passengers a day in the future.

The approvals come days after the state government tightened norms for approving large infrastructure projects, citing concerns over delays and cost overruns in several major projects across Maharashtra.