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Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Mumbai residents fear traffic chaos if flyover is demolished for coastal road project
Mumbai: Goregaon and Malad residents fear being landlocked to an extent if the Veer Savarkar flyover is demolished to make way for the Mumbai Coastal Road (North)–GMLR connector from Malad Mindspace up to Dindoshi. At Dindoshi, the piling work for the connector has already started. While the BMC has said it has no choice but to raze the bridge, local MLA Aslam Shaikh has warned that it could take commuters over an hour just to cross the junction. "The next 3–4 years will be a traffic nightmare in these areas," he said, pointing out that alongside the flyover's proposed demolition, work on the coastal road has already begun, and tunnelling for the Goregaon–Mulund Link Road (GMLR) is also set to start. TOI first reported the proposed demolition in its Aug 5 edition. Sandeep Patel, a former Goregaon corporator, pointed out that the Mrunal Tai Gore flyover—the alternate entry into the locality—gets severely congested during exhibitions at NESCO, with commuters taking up to an hour to cross it. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai "If the Savarkar flyover is demolished, that would then be the only exit for southbound traffic," said Patel. Dhaval Shah of the Andheri Lokhandwala Citizens Association said that the Savarkar extension is a jugular vein for commuters of that region to cross over either side of the railway line. It will lead to a manifold increase in travel time and cause a lot of inconvenience. "Breaking should be done in the last phase when it is necessary, and planning should be done to get it restored on a war footing, unlike other projects which have very long gestation times for bridge projects," he said. Former BMC opposition leader Ravi Raja pointed out that as the Savarkar bridge was built for Rs 27 crore, not only will this result in a loss of public money, but it will also cause hardships to locals in their commute. "When this bridge was constructed, it was built because it was needed—so what about the people's needs now? In such a scenario, why isn't there a collective consideration of which projects will take place in Mumbai and what difficulties they might create for the public? What has happened in the case of the Veer Savarkar Bridge is entirely wrong, and it represents a loss of the tax money paid by Mumbaikars," said Raja. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Piling work begins for Mumbai Coastal Road (North) connector despite pending decision on Savarkar flyover demolition
Mumbai: Even as the fate of Goregaon's Veer Savarkar flyover hangs in the balance, the BMC-appointed contractor has begun piling work for the proposed connector of the Mumbai Coastal Road (North) project. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The connector will link Mindspace in Malad to the Dindoshi sessions court. Work kicked off from the Dindoshi end of the alignment despite the final decision on demolishing the Savarkar flyover—an obstacle along the route—still pending. "This is a 4.5-km connector, and piling started from the Dindoshi side. So far, permissions are in place only up to the Oberoi Mall junction," said a civic official. The Veer Savarkar flyover, located nearly three kilometres onwards from the current work zone, is now being assessed for demolition. Officials say the structure, completed in Aug 2018 at a cost of Rs 27 crore, obstructs the elevated connector's alignment and may be replaced by a two-deck structure, with the flyover forming the lower deck. TOI reported on Tuesday that as part of the Coastal Road 2 project—which will eventually link Versova and Dahisar—the demolition of the existing flyover may become inevitable, said officials. "The slip road will greatly reduce, making it difficult for a fire tender also to pass by if we move ahead without demolishing the Savarkar flyover," said an official. Congress MLA from Malad Aslam Shaikh said the connector is planned from his constituency and that the demolition of a flyover is a serious concern. Former Goregaon corporator Deepak Thakur said the contractor has already begun surveying the area for the connector to be built further ahead of Dindoshi. Mumbai Coastal Road (North), or Versova Dahisar Link Road (VDLR), is a 22-km alignment that includes roads on land, elevated sections, on stilts, a cable-stayed bridge and a cut-and-cover tunnel beneath a creek.
