MMRDA plans elevated road to decongest island city traffic

Mumbai: In the absence of the controversial coastal road between Worli and Cuffe Parade and the Pedder Road flyover, there is relief in sight for peak hour suburban traffic headed to and coming from South Mumbai via the congested Marine Drive and Pedder Road. 

    The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has decided to appoint a developer by the yearend to build a 4.5km elevated road from Sewri to Worli, near the end of the sea link, at a cost of about Rs200crore. 
    The road will be attached to the upcoming eastern freeway, between Princes Dock (towards Colaba) and Chembur. The Chembur end will eventually be connected to the Eastern Express highway in Ghatkopar and Mankhurd on the Sion-Panvel highway. 
    Similarly, the elevated road will have connectivity with the proposed sea link between Sewri and Nhava, also known as the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL). Connectivity will be through a rotary or cloverleaf structure, offering entry and exit towards all four ends: Worli, Chembur, Navi Mumbai and Colaba. 
    While the Pedder Road flyover is being opposed by South Mumbai residents and is yet to be approved by the Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF), the coastal road will require amendments in the Environment Act itself. Permission for both is expected to take two to three years. In the meantime, MMRDA officials said they can build the elevated road. 
    "Instead of taking the traditional Marine Drive-Pedder Road route, traffic on the western corridor, over probably three years, will be signal-free between Worli and Princes Dock through this connector," said MMRDA commissioner Rahul Asthana. 
    "Although railway permission is not yet in to build a bridge above Elphinstone bridge, work will start by January 2013 to avoid delay. Thebridge portion will be built only when permission is given," said another MMRDA official. 
    "The project will decongest Pedder Road in the absence of the 4km flyover and nearly 10km coastal road between Worli and Cuffe Parade," said a senior MMRDA technocrat. While the eastern freeway too will decongest Dr Ambedkar Road, Eastern Express highway and Sion-Panvel road, the sea link will bring Navi Mumbai closer to South Mumbai. 
WORLI-SEWRI CONNECTOR 
    By year-end, developer could be in place 
    Will be attached to eastern freeway from Princes Dock to Chembur and Nhava-Sewri sea link with clover-leaf 
    Railway permission to build 27-metre high bridge above Elphinstone bridge awaited but work will start early 
    Expected to decongest Marine Drive and Pedder Road traffi c as people may prefer signal-free Princes Dock-Freeway-Sewri-Worli route 
    Can serve purpose till coastal road from Worli to Cuffe Parade and Pedder Road flyover is a reality 
    Eastern freeway is expected to start by Jan '13

MMRDA plans elevated road to decongest island city traffic

Chittaranjan Tembhekar TNN 

Mumbai: In the absence of the controversial coastal road between Worli and Cuffe Parade and the Pedder Road flyover, there is relief in sight for peak hour suburban traffic headed to and coming from South Mumbai via the congested Marine Drive and Pedder Road. 
    The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has decided to appoint a developer by the yearend to build a 4.5km elevated road from Sewri to Worli, near the end of the sea link, at a cost of about Rs200crore. 
    The road will be attached to the upcoming eastern freeway, between Princes Dock (towards Colaba) and Chembur. The Chembur end will eventually be connected to the Eastern Express highway in Ghatkopar and Mankhurd on the Sion-Panvel highway. 
    Similarly, the elevated road will have connectivity with the proposed sea link between Sewri and Nhava, also known as the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL). Connectivity will be through a rotary or cloverleaf structure, offering entry and exit towards all four ends: Worli, Chembur, Navi Mumbai and Colaba. 
    While the Pedder Road flyover is being opposed by South Mumbai residents and is yet to be approved by the Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF), the coastal road will require amendments in the Environment Act itself. Permission for both is expected to take two to three years. In the meantime, MMRDA officials said they can build the elevated road. 
    "Instead of taking the traditional Marine Drive-Pedder Road route, traffic on the western corridor, over probably three years, will be signal-free between Worli and Princes Dock through this connector," said MMRDA commissioner Rahul Asthana. 
    "Although railway permission is not yet in to build a bridge above Elphinstone bridge, work will start by January 2013 to avoid delay. Thebridge portion will be built only when permission is given," said another MMRDA official. 
    "The project will decongest Pedder Road in the absence of the 4km flyover and nearly 10km coastal road between Worli and Cuffe Parade," said a senior MMRDA technocrat. While the eastern freeway too will decongest Dr Ambedkar Road, Eastern Express highway and Sion-Panvel road, the sea link will bring Navi Mumbai closer to South Mumbai. 
WORLI-SEWRI CONNECTOR 
    By year-end, developer could be in place 
    Will be attached to eastern freeway from Princes Dock to Chembur and Nhava-Sewri sea link with clover-leaf 
    Railway permission to build 27-metre high bridge above Elphinstone bridge awaited but work will start early 
    Expected to decongest Marine Drive and Pedder Road traffi c as people may prefer signal-free Princes Dock-Freeway-Sewri-Worli route 
    Can serve purpose till coastal road from Worli to Cuffe Parade and Pedder Road flyover is a reality 
    Eastern freeway is expected to start by Jan '13