Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray inaugurates flyover, but tells BMC to smoothen bumps

CM Uddhav Thackeray inaugurates the flyover. Pic/Sameer Markande

The three-kilometre-long Ghatkopar-Mankhurd flyover, which was inaugurated by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray last Sunday and thrown open to the public, has turned out to be a bumpy route. With the naming of the bridge still pending, the CM has asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to fix its uneven patches. The bridge is also yet to be opened up for heavy vehicles, which, civic sources said would take another two months.

While motorists will now prefer to take the flyover to head to Vashi, the bridge also has a 300-metre-long arm connecting the Deonar dumping ground. However, this stretch will be useful only after heavy vehicles are allowed to ply.

After a lot of delay in completion of the bridge work, it was finally thrown open last week. However, sources said that as the finishing touches were given during the onset of monsoon, some patches remained uneven and that they needed resurfacing. The sources further said that Thackeray had pointed this out to the civic body during the inauguration ceremony.

A civic official from the bridge department said, "It was not a criticism but a suggestion to make the stretch even. We will fix the bumpy patches towards the end of monsoon. However, the bridge is proving to be a boon for many heading towards Navi Mumbai."

The Ghatkopar-Mankhurd junction is the main road connecting the Sion-Panvel Highway and Eastern Express Highway (EEH). The highway and the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road have been experiencing huge traffic jams. As a solution to this, the flyover has been constructed. It is expected that the bridge would ease traffic congestion towards Vashi. The bridge, which has been constructed at a cost of R580 crore, would also reduce travel time between Ghatkopar and Govandi junctions.

Rs 580cr
Construction cost of the bridge