Agency says no to BMC's request to build entire bridge; civic body will now float tenders and complete the job itself
It seems the extension work of the Bal Thackeray flyover at Jogeshwari has once again hit a roadblock, which might delay the project further. In February, the BMC had sent a proposal to the MMRDA requesting the agency to take up the entire extension work, as two separate agencies working on the same alignment of the flyover and Metro Line VI would unnecessarily delay the projects. However, according to civic officials, MMRDA has not agreed to take up the entire extension work, and would instead stick to those portions where the two infra projects run on the same pillar.
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Sources said that the extension work, which has been pending for over three years, would most likely start by year-end. While the civic body would work on the approach roads to the flyover and some portions where the flyover and the Metro line run parallel to each other, the MMRDA would take up the parts where the two projects run together. Civic sources said that a consultant would be appointed soon to draft the tenders and start work on the flyover extension, which once completed would connect Lokhandwala to Poonam Nagar to Jogeshwari East.
Also Read: Why not work on Bal Thackeray flyover extension too, civic body asks MMRDA
While last year it was decided that work on the extension would be done jointly by both the agencies, later in February this year BMC found out that this would not only escalate the cost but delay the project as well. Sources from the civic body said that as the MMRDA did not have any such clause in their tender, they would only carry out their portion of the work.
Extension of the flyover includes both infringement (where the two projects run on the same pillar) and exfringement (where the projects run parallel to each other) work. They are on the same pillar from Lokhandwala to Millat Hospital area (except for Infiniti junction where the flyover is at the first level, Metro II A on the second level and Metro VI on the third level). The Metro line runs parallel to the flyover between Millat Hospital and Shyam Nagar on the Jogeshwari East side, and again merges and runs on the same pillar till Poonam Nagar. The Bal Thackeray flyover is currently operational between S V road on the Jogeshwari West side and Western Express Highway on the eastern side. After the extension work is complete, commuters would be able to cut down on travel time by over half-and-hour if they take the new route.
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Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior civic official said, "When we discussed the matter with senior MMRDA officials, we were told that a 2.1 km portion of the extension that runs parallel to Metro VI, will have to be done by us as their tender doesn't have any clause which allows them to do the entire work. However, this will delay the project, as according to our previous study, some portions had to be done after the MMRDA finishes their work." Deputy Chief Engineer, Satish Thosar, said, "The tenders for the extension work will be drafted and floated soon."
Connecting pathways
- The city for the first time will witness an engineering-marvel with three important infrastructure projects on the same pillar at the junction of Infinit Mall at Lokhandwala on Link Road. The first level will be the flyover, second one the Metro Line II A and third one Metro Line VI.
- Further, where the exfringement of the bridge will take place, the flyover extension and Metro Line VI would run above the Metro Line VII (Dahisar East to Andheri East) and Western Express Highway, as these two projects run parallel to each other.
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