24 October,2015 07:06 AM IST | | Shashank Rao
The 10-metre-wide drains will be covered using concrete slabs thus creating an 800-m stretch; three new flyovers will provide better connectivity to BKC
The 10-meter-wide drains will be covered with concrete slabs to make a motorable road over them
Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) may have some good news for motorists who are stranded in traffic jams on the Western Express Highway near Kherwadi.
Also read: MMRDA throws open Kherwadi flyover in under 6 months, starts repairs in less than 4
Space utilisation: The 10-meter-wide drains will be covered with concrete slabs to make a motorable road over them. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
If everything falls into place, MMRDA will soon have a road replace the green-coloured, dome-shaped covers placed over the 10-metre-wide stormwater drains between Kalanagar and Kherwadi. These drains - falling on a 800-metre stretch - were covered in 2005.
Sources from MMRDA claimed the decision to cover these drains and utilise the space to construct a road was taken at a recently held high-level meeting.
"These drains can be covered with cement slabs to create traffic lanes. It will also benefit the proposed flyovers," said a MMRDA official.
The official added that once complete, the new road and the flyovers would help ease traffic congestion at Kalanagar Junction, Sion-Bandra Link Road and BKC Road during peak hours.
Flyovers proposed
For effective dispersal of traffic coming from north and south ends towards Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), MMRDA has proposed three new flyovers.
The first one will be a 900-m-long structure between BKC and Bandra Reclamation on the sea link side. The second one will start from the sea link side to BKC and will be 1,190-m-long. While the third and the final flyover will connect BKC-Dharavi-WEH and will be 2,000 meters in length. Moreover, a 600-metre-long bridge will connect Dharavi and sea link to aid motorists from the eastern suburbs to directly reach the Bandra-Worli Sea Link (BWSL).
Commenting on the issue, MMRDA Commissioner UPS Madan said, "Tenders will be floated for the project within a month's time."
The flyovers will be constructed in phases at a cost of R227 crore to prevent traffic jams in and around BKC. One of the three flyovers will go towards Mahim Causeway from BKC and shall run parallel to Mithi river.
12,000
Average number of cars that cross the BKC junction every hour
Rs 227crore
Estimated cost to construct the three flyovers
10m
Width of the stormwater drains between Kalanagar and Kherwadi
