Mumbai: BMC greenlights two major road connector projects

The project aims to decongest traffic on the Western Express and Eastern Express highway. File Pic/Anurag Ahire

Ahead of the Lok Sabha election, the BMC cleared two ambitious projects worth Rs 3,700 crore within a week. The work orders for the access control projects - connecting the Western Express Highway to the Easter Express Highway and a connection between the Eastern Freeway to the Coastal Road were given by the BMC.

After floating around a thousand tenders at ward levels, the BMC is in a hurry to clear the major proposals. On Monday the BMC Chief Iqbal Singh Chahal cleared proposals for an access control project worth Rs 3,000 crore and a connecting flyover between Eastern Freeway (Orange Gate) to Diana Talkies Road (in Grant Road) worth Rs 700 crore.

The proposal of an elevated road connecting the Eastern Freeway to the Coastal Road was sanctioned in record time. The tenders were invited on January 20, for the flyover from Eastern Freeway (Orange Gate) which ends at Frere Bridge East. The other arm will also pass via Pathe Bapurao Marg to Diana Talkies Marg (Grant Road).

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The project is worth R662 crore. The final packet of the tender was opened on February 29. Generally, the BMC takes around two to three months to sanction a proposal and issue a work order. But in this case, the BMC issued a work order within three days by working on weekends.

The BMC floated tenders in the first week of December for access control roads. According to the BMC officials, the project aimed to decongest heavy traffic junctions on the Western Express Highway and Eastern Express highways. Overall, nine locations were identified to initiate the project of traffic improvement.

Out of these, three locations are on the Western Express Highway and six are on the Eastern Express Highway. The access will be an underpass, flyover, u-turn flyover, double elevated flyover, or road raising. The estimated cost of the project was Rs 2,900 crore. The tender opening date was in January.

The BMC cleared the proposal on Monday, March 4. Civic chief I S Chahal confirmed the update. "Yes, both projects were approved. We issued a letter of intent (LOI) on Monday," said Chahal. The project cost of both works is around Rs 3,700 excluding 18 per cent GST.