Experts to conduct soil stability test to finalise Thane ring Metro’s alignment

Thane: Nearly a month after the Union cabinet approved the Thane integral ring Metro rail project, a team of experts is likely to undertake a soil stability test along the entire 29km loop route. This will assist designers in finalising the corridor's alignment more accurately, officials said.
"A series of geo-technical investigations is likely to be conducted along the entire route by a panel of experts hired by the consultant.It will study the geological conditions, including the type of soil and rock. This will help not just in designing the piers' height but will also be useful in knowing the maximum depth at which the tubes for the underground section can be laid. Identifying utility lines running underneath is also a challenge," said an official.
Sources in Maha Metro, which will execute the project, said the study is crucial as 2-3km of the underground section covering the two railway stations in Thane will pass beneath a dense cluster of old residential buildings in Naupada. The elevated portion has to go above a series of flyovers and Metro lines at various points, including Ghodbunder Road and Mumbai-Nashik highway, to complete the loop.
The project is expected to be operational by 2029, and aims to bridge dense hubs and the old and new stations in Thane and link Mumbai and Kalyan via Metro 4 and 5.