05 May,2017 05:19 PM IST | | Ranjeet Jadhav
MSRDC to construct two three-lane bridges to ease traffic on the Sion-Panvel highway, project to be ready by 2020
The Sion-Panvel highway is prone to heavy traffic snarls
In a bid to ease traffic movement over the Thane creek, on the Sion-Panvel highway, the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has decided to construct two bridges, with three lanes each, at a cost of over Rs. 50 crore.
Last year, the bridge connecting Navi Mumbai to Mumbai was shut for a few days after some cracks were spotted on it. Consequently, in August 2016, the state had appointed the MSRDC to construct a new bridge over the creek to reduce traffic snarls on the arterial road during peak hours.
Broken bridges
Currently, two bridges run parallel to each other on this stretch. The first bridge with two lanes was thrown open in 1973, but after it showed signs of corrosion, another bridge was constructed, with six lanes, in 1997. The second bridge is used by thousands of motorists every day now, and only light vehicles are allowed on the old bridge.
The MSRDC authorities expect an increase in volume of vehicular traffic in the near future as an international airport is coming up in Navi Mumbai. "The new bridge will run parallel to the second bridge in use now. We have invited tenders for consultancy services and for supervision of civil construction works of the proposed bridge," said an MSRDC official.
The official informed that the bridge would need to be completed within three years of the contractor getting the project. "The contractor would also have to oversee the project's maintenance for four years after it is opened to the public," the official said.
The urgency
The project has been in limbo from many years and it needs to be completed on an urgent basis, as the Vashi creek bridge, which connects Mumbai with Navi Mumbai, is narrow and leads to heavy traffic snarls during peak hours.
Considering an increase in the number of regular motorists heading towards Pune, additional lanes are required to channel the traffic.
The MSRDC official further informed that the new bridge will be modelled on the format of the bridge inaugurated in 1997.
"There are no plans to make the new bridge look fancy. We are not planning to make a cable-stayed bridge [in which cables support the bridge deck] as it increases the cost of the project as well as the time taken to construct it."
