Nagpur: After more than a year of planning and multiple rounds of approvals, Maharashtra cabinet’s Infrastructure Committee on Thursday cleared the proposed Kamptee-Kanhan extension of Nagpur Metro Phase-2 from Kanhan river to Kanhan, paving the way for the city’s metro network to cross the river and enter the rapidly growing suburban settlement.Chaired by CM Devendra Fadnavis, the committee approved the 1. 40-km elevated extension, estimated to cost 310.35 crore. The project, to be implemented by the MahaMetro after receiving the Centre’s approval, will add one elevated station at Kanhan, taking the total number of stations on the Kamptee corridor from 12 to 13.According to metro officials, the extension is likely to require construction of a nearly 500-metre steel viaduct across the Kanhan River before the alignment reaches Kanhan town, which is presently terminating at Kanhan river station.The proposal was first pushed over a year ago by revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule and was subsequently backed by minister of state Ashish Jaiswal. Days before state approval, Jaiswal urged MahaMetro to examine extending the corridor beyond the proposed Kanhan station up to Tekdi Fata. MahaMetro officials then clarified that while the DPR for extension up to Kanhan was already submitted to the state, any further expansion beyond Kanhan would be taken up as part of proposed Phase-3 project.The Kamptee corridor will remain the longest stretch of Nagpur Metro Phase-2. The newly approved extension will take the existing 13-km Automotive Square-Kanhan corridor across Kanhan river into Kanhan town, increasing its length to around 14.4 km. Besides improving connectivity for Kanhan residents and neighbouring areas, the corridor will showcase two of Phase-2’s key engineering structures — the balanced cantilever bridge over Pili Nadi and a proposed 500mtr steel bridge across Kanhan river, carrying the Metro into Kanhan town.
