18 December,2019 07:10 AM IST | Mumbai | Prajakta Kasale
Traffic jam seen from Kemps Corner to Mukesh Chowk on Tuesday. Pic/ Bipin Kokate
The work of replacing a stormwater line and the repair of August Kranti Marg jammed the traffic on Warden Road on Tuesday with south-bound traffic being blocked on the former.
The diversion through Warden Road confused regular travellers. The work of laying a 1000 mm-diameter pipe and repairing the asphalt stretch will take at least six months, but the Mumbai Traffic police assured that vehicular movement will smoothen after BEST buses as diverted.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) usually starts road work after the monsoon. Work on August Kranti Marg and the replacing of the 100-year-old stormwater drainage line from Kemps Corner to Subhash Chowk began on Tuesday. Local Corporator Jyotsna Mehta said that the work is necessary. Long stretches of vehicles were seen from St Stephen's Catholic Church to Haji Ali Dargah.
"The drainage line is old and has to be replaced before the road is repaired. The new line is 1000 mm in diameter. Once it is laid, asphalt road work will start," said a BMC officer. The BMC is aiming to complete the work before next monsoon.
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While the closure and diversions were being discussed for a week, the BMC and traffic police could not avert jams on the first day. "The number of vehicles increased on Warden Road. Even BEST buses were running on both sides. That created additional traffic. But it will ease in the coming days," said Sarjerao Talpade, Senior Police Inspector of Tardeo Police Station. "The diversions have affected seven bus routes. We wanted to avoid unnecessary detours and multiplying fares as it affects timetables, fuel, distance and travel time of passengers and conveyed the same to BMC and traffic police," said Manoj Varade, BEST spokesperson.
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