Mumbai: Goregaon FOB on risky road to be open to public

The newly-constructed foot overbridge will be thrown open to public next month. Pic/Shadab Khan

Pedestrians using the Western Urban Road will no longer have to risk their lives crossing the busy highway near Mahanand Dairy in Goregaon East as a new foot overbridge (FOB) at the site is expected to be thrown open to public by next month. Work on the bridge, which has been pending for the last two years, has finally gathered steam. The bridge, which cost the BMC around R2 crore, will be ready in the next three to four weeks.

In the past, there have been several cases of pedestrians meeting with fatal accidents while crossing the busy highway between Vanrai police station and Bimbisar Nagar. While there are two subways on this 1.2-km-long stretch, pedestrians still prefer crossing the road. "We have been demanding for an FOB as many pedestrians have died while crossing the stretch," said Deepak Gusar, a resident of the area.

However, construction of the bridge had been delayed as the Dahisar East and Andheri East Metro line, which is being constructed by the MMRDA, passed through the same alignment. The planning and development authority hence, denied permission to the BMC's Public Works Department to construct the FOB. "We had earlier denied permission for the bridge, but the BMC has agreed to our request of integrating the FOB with the Metro station," said a senior MMRDA official, requesting anonymity.

Incidentally, a survey conducted by road experts in 2004 had identified the location near Mahanand Dairy as dangerous for pedestrians. In May 2015, a woman was run over during her attempt to cross the highway near the dairy.

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