MUMBAI: The Eastern Freeway will be extended by 3km, further northwards, by connecting it to the Eastern Express Highway (EEH) near Ghatkopar Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority ( MMRDA ), which will carry out the work, said the extension will go through slum pockets near Ramabai Nagar, on the east side of the EEH. Metropolitan commissioner U P S Madan said, “Around 2,000 slums will have to be cleared to create space for the freeway.”A slum rehabilitation scheme is proposed by a private builder and MMRDA has told the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) to expedite clearance. Madan said, “It should take at least a year for the project to get off the ground. During this period, we will revise the detailed project report, begin the process for getting environmental and coastal regulatory authority (CRZ) clearances, as some mangroves will be affected.”Earlier too there was a extension plan but environmental hurdles forced MMRDA to put it in cold storage.The project will help ease congestion on the Ghatkopar-Mankhurd Link Road and at the Chheda Nagar junction. Vehicles coming from CSMT for Thane have to come to the Chheda Nagar junction before hitting the EEH. Those coming from Thane to CSMT too have take the same route. The Eastern Freeway has been of huge benefit to motorists as it is an important arterial road for north-south connectivity.Around 22,000 vehicles ply daily since the stretch between Orange Gate and Shivaji Chowk was thrown open to traffic. The response was tremendous as it was estimated in 2006 that it would be 24,000 per day by 2020.The opening of the route up to GMLR helped further reduce congestion on Dr Ambedkar Road. The freeway also helped reduce traffic on Dr Ambedkar Marg, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Marg, MbPT Road and Eastern Express HighwayA conservative estimate states there may be a reduction of 50% in fuel consumption as well as levels of harmful emissions, noise and vibration. Presently, on an average, 5,487 freight vehicles enter/leave Mumbai Port. Of the total freight traffic, about 42% originates or is destined outside Greater Mumbai, and about 14% to the eastern suburbs.