The authority will soon float a tender for the Rs 700-crore project. The elevated road will start from near the crematorium of Vithalwadi on Old Pune Link Road, cross the Kalyan-Karjat railway line and then the Kalyan-Kasara railway line via Waldhuni.

It will pass parallel to Waldhuni river and reach near the Kalyan-Ahmednagar National Highway where it will end near Palms Hotel.

Kalyan Lok Sabha MP Shrikant Shinde said the MMRDAhas prepared a detailed project report (DPR) and about 70% of land acquisition work stands complete. Shinde said, "Traffic at three important points at Waldhuni, F Cabin Bridge and Shahad Bridge will reduce and the time taken to reach Shahad in Kalyan from Vithalwadi will reduce from 40 minutes to five once the elevated road is ready.

Kalyan is a connecting hub to many cities. At present, commuters from Kalyan East, Kalyan rural, Ulhasnagar, Ambernath and Badlapur travel from Kalyan city to Bhiwandi, Thane and Mumbai. "The elevated route concept was initiated to connect the old Pune Link Road from Vithalwadi to Kalyan's Ahmednagar National Highway directly," said Shinde. MMRDA sanctioned it and started a project survey and land acquisition.

The traffic police say the elevated road will reduce traffic on Waldhuni bridge and Kalyan station road. Lal Tanwani, a professor from Ulhasnagar, said, "This is good news for citizens living in Ulhasnagar and beyond because while traveling by car to Mumbai via Kalyan, we had to face lot of traffic on this route."