JVPD junction flyover construction to begin in April

Motorists who face heavy traffic on the link road near the Juhu-JVPD junction during morning and evening peak hours, will have a reason to smile if everything goes according to plan. By April 2015, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Auth-ority (MMRDA) will start the construction of a flyover that will bypass the JVPD junction.

Ugly traffic jams at the JVPD junction during peak hours have become a daily affair. Once constructed, the flyover will help bypass this junction. File pic

Confirming the same, an MMRDA official said, "In a month's time, we expect the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the flyover, after which tenders for its construction will be called. If everything goes well according to plan, then we will start the construction by April 2015."

It should be noted that the project has been in the pipeline for over two years, and in 2012 the MMRDA had even called for bids to appoint consultants for this flyover. But, the planning authority had then said that it is only on the basis of the findings of the ‘Techno-Economic Feasibility Study and Detailed Project Report' that a call would be taken at a later date on construction of the flyover.

According to the initial study conducted by the planning authority, the cost of the flyover was expected to be between Rs 40 crore to Rs 50 crore for an 800-metre-long bridge. The project has been planned between New Link Road and Gulmohar Road, bypassing the JVPD Junction.

BMC vs MMRDA
In 2008, MMRDA passed a resolution stating that it would not take up projects in Mumbai limits and would only concentrate on developing the infrastructure in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). The decision regarding this flyover was taken only because there have been continuous verbal clashes between the BMC and MMRDA.

The BMC had claimed several times that MMRDA was not carrying out work properly, and that the civic body could undertake flyover and road projects in Mumbai in a much better way. However, the MMRDA has now decided to take on projects in the city, and, so, work on the Kherwadi flyover was also initiated.

Having a flyover at JVPD junction will help, as at present motorists coming from the Western Express Highway and going towards Versova and Lokhandwala get stuck in traffic at JVPD junction. The waiting time at the signal for vehicles going towards Juhu and Indian Oil Nagar is quite a lot. Even the local public representatives have, for long, been demanding a flyover.